Blue Moon
by Athena Silverwolf
Summary: Scott McCall's sister wasn't exactly ready for her brother to become a werewolf, or for the red eyes to haunt her both day and night. But when Ami becomes more involved than she can handle on her own, she finds lost family, old secrets, and new powers. Suddenly Ami is more in need of a big brother than ever before, but this brother likes leather jackets. S1 complete. S2 started!
1. Wolf Moon pt 1

**Author's Note: So, here's another Scott has a sister fic, but I'm hoping everyone likes it. I'm making Ami Scott's adopted sister, but they're the same age. Slight Derek/OC, but won't pan out, since Derek is what, six years older than Scott and Stiles? **

**Disclaimer: Clearly I do not own Teen Wolf, or I wouldn't be posting on here. Ami is mine, please don't copy.**

Chapter 1: Wolf Moon

As I climbed out of the shower, I could hear my brother's music playing next door. I knocked on the door to his room from inside the bathroom and hurried into my room on the other side of the bathroom. I pulled on a pair of Scott's old sweats and a Beacon Hills tank top I'd stolen from Danny before blow drying my long brown hair. Sitting in front of my vanity table, I heard boards creaking. Joining Scott in the hall, I heard it again, coming from the front porch. "Stay here," he whispered, sipping up a sweatshirt and grabbing my old baseball bat from when Dad had still been around.

A moment later, I heard him yelling, and a voice that sounded like Stiles crying out "Whoa!" Laughing, I ran down the stairs and peeked around the doorframe, seeing my brother's best friend hanging upside from the porch roof.

"Stiles, what the hell are you doing?" Scott demanded, lowering the bat.

"You weren't answering your phone!" Stiles squeaked. "And neither were you!" he said, turning to me. "Why do you have a bat?" he asked.

Scott looked at the bat and tried to explain, "I thought you were a predator."

"A predator?" Stiles scoffed.

"It's mine, Sti," I told him, taking it from Scott and putting it inside the door.

"Look, I know it's late, but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, they're bringing in every officer in the Beacon Department and even the State Police," Stiles said, still hanging upside down.

"For what?" Scott clearly didn't understand why Stiles was so excited about this, and honestly, neither did I. I snuggled into Scott's side, slipping under his arm, and he absently wrapped me in a hug.

"Two joggers found a body in the woods," Stiles told us, jumping down to the lawn.

"A dead body?" Scott asked, leaning onto the railing. I giggled when Stiles popped back up, reaching up onto the railing.

"No, a body of water. Yes, dumbass, a dead body," Stiles replied, making me laugh quietly.

"What?" Scott asked, glancing down at me.

"That was a stupid question," I murmured, tilting my head to look up at him. I barely came up to his shoulder. Stiles climbed up onto the porch, and I reached up to brush a leaf out of his hair. He bowed, lowering himself to my height, and then straightened as I stepped back.

"You mean like murdered?" Scott questioned him.

""Nobody knows yet, just that it was girl, probably in her twenties," Stiles explained.

"Wait, hold on. If the police found the body, what are they looking for?" Scott realized.

I knew this was trouble when Stiles said, "That's the best part." I shook my head, trying to tell him to stop, but he continued, "They only found half."

"Oh, ew," I gasped, stepping back, my eyes going wide.

"We're going," Stiles declared.

"No, I'm most definitely not," I protested. "No, no, no," I gasped, and then realized it was falling on deaf ears as Stiles lifted my tiny form over his shoulder and tossed me in the back sheet of his Jeep. "Stiles, I don't even have shoes or a sweatshirt!" I yelped, but Scott had already climbed into the passenger seat. Stiles started the car, effectively trapping me in the backseat. "No, I don't want to help you find a dead body!" I cried, uselessly.

Within minutes we had pulled up to the reserve. "We're seriously doing this?" Scott demanded, slamming the car door.

"You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town," Stiles reminded him, leading the way.

"Not without shoes, we're not!" I yelled as they started walking away.

"There's a sweatshirt back there, but you might have to go barefoot," Stiles told me, handing a flashlight over. Grumbling about idiot teenage boys, I pulled Stiles' lacrosse sweatshirt over Danny's tank top and jumped down into the leaves. Jogging after them as they headed into the woods, I realized just how dark it was here.

"I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow," Scott protested, hesitating at the edge of the trees. Then he realized that Stiles had the flashlight and hurried after his friend.

"Right, cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort," Stiles scoffed at the fate the boys had suffered last year.

"No, because, I'm playing this year. In fact I'm making first line," Scott informed him. I rolled my eyes, but I knew how hard my brother had been training over the summer to be good.

"Hey, that's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream, even if a pathetically unrealistic one," Stiles replied. It seemed even the creepiness of the dark woods couldn't shake him of his trademark sarcasm.

"Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?" Scott asked.

I groaned when Stiles paused. "Huh. I didn't even think about that," he replied easily, as if it was no big deal.

"And, uh, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?" Scott pressed, looking up at the rain started to fall.

"Also something I didn't think about," Stiles admitted.

"Oh, my god, Stiles! What have you gotten us into?" I gasped, wincing as I stepped on a branch. As Stiles started up the hill, I heard Scott wheezing, and I sighed. And realized I was going to have to climb the hill barefoot. "Does this get any worse?" I groaned to myself, knowing my feet were going to be cut, bloody, and bruised when we got home.

"It's comforting to know you planned this with your usual attention to detail," Scott said. He paused, leaning against a tree as he dug in his pocket, and wheezed, "Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight." As I passed him, I shoved my flashlight into his hand, and followed after Stiles, picking my way through the leaves with a wince pretty much every step. The leaves were cold and wet, and I seemed to hit every fallen branch and rock in my path.

Stiles flopped onto the ground at the top of the hill, and I fell on top of him. He barely even reacted, and I cursed not only my small stature but slim figure too. I barely weighed a hundred pounds fully dressed. Scanning the trees as Scott fell beside us; I realized why Stiles had stopped. A line of flashlights signaled to us that the police were headed this way, and I could hear the dogs barking too. Stiles scrambled up, taking me with him as I clung to his back, only to call, "Come on!" to Scott.

I slipped down, reaching for Scott as he called, "Stiles wait up!" He took my offered hand, and we tried to run after our friend, but my bare feet and Scott's asthma were not making it easy. "Stiles!" I called, yelping when my foot caught a rock. I went down, forcing Scott to stop, and he called Stiles one more time.

I didn't see Stiles slow down to a walk and turn back to us, or I would have seen the officer behind him. Instead, the dog's bark and the flashlight beam made me jump, and I heard Stiles yell out as he went down on the wet leaves. "Stay right there!" the officer ordered, and I saw Scott duck behind a tree.

I hunched down behind the rock I'd tripped over when I heard Sheriff Stilinski's gruff, "Hang on, hang on! This little delinquent belongs to me."

I couldn't hear Stiles' response, but I knew it would be stupid and eye-roll worthy. They must have talked for a minute before the Sheriff raised his flashlight to scan the darkness around him. "Scott, Ami, you out there? Scott? Ami?" he called. Then the flashlight went down and Scott shuffled over to me. He handed me the flashlight and took my hand, lifting Stiles' hood over my hair.

"Scotty, I don't like this," I whispered when the trees started creaking.

"It'll be ok, Ami," he murmured, leading on, though considerably more slowly than Stiles had. When he paused in the little clearing, I shivered, the mist turning the already dark and stormy night into plain creepy. He shook his inhaler, raising it to his mouth, when the deer burst out of the trees.

I screamed, falling to the ground as I tried to scramble away, and Scott went down with a yell behind me. One deer fell in its panic, flailing as it raced back to its feet, and one huge hoof grazed my side, throwing me into Scott. Then they were gone and the woods were still again. "God," he said, getting to his feet. He lifted me up, and then took out his phone.

"What are you looking for?" I asked when he started scanning the leaves.

"My inhaler," he replied. I groaned, knowing it would cost us a lot to replace one, then moved away to shine my flashlight on the wet leaves. I had moved closer to him, more afraid of the darkness than I thought when his phone light ran over something that made him go back. When I saw the girl's face, I screamed. Realizing this was the body, Scott jerked back with a yell, and he tumbled down the hill we'd struggled to climb earlier. I saw his phone fly out of his hand and retrieved it from the leaves before starting down the hill. I was too eager to get away from the body, and slipped, sliding down to the big tree where Scott had stopped before.

"Scott?" I called, and saw him jump over a fallen tree. He had only taken two steps when he stopped. "Scott, come on," I pleaded, hating how afraid I sounded. He turned to look behind him, and we both saw the animal. It leaped, landed on top of my brother as he turned away, and I screamed, ducking behind the tree. I had nowhere to run, so I shut off the flashlight as I heard my brother's pained cry. Pulling the hood further down over my head, I willed myself into a tiny ball, terrified and shaking, tears spilling over my cheeks.

Something scrambled through the leaves, heading away from me, and I realized it was my brother. But I couldn't stop the whimper when I realized that meant I was alone, with no phone, with the beast that had just attacked my brother. I heard something moving in the leaves, and heard heavy panting nearby.

I shrunk down, and the movement was probably my mistake, because then I went flying, the beast looming over me when I landed. "Open your eyes," a raspy voice crooned, but I had never shut them. Sharp claws dug into my chin, forcing me to turn and face the beast holding me. I was met first by sharp fangs and horrible breath that made me gag before I lifted my eyes to its face. Then wished I hadn't.

Glowing red eyes bored into my terrified blue ones and I knew no matter what I did, they were going to be burned into my memory for a long time. "Please, don't kill me," I begged, and it released my chin.

"I don't want to kill you. You are perfect for the bite," it replied, but I was too terrified to understand. I shut my eyes and leaned away when it lowered its head to my face, and whimpered when it sniffed at my hair. "But not yet, my pretty little pup," it added, and then it was gone. Curling into a ball, I sobbed, my fear completely overwhelming me as I lay there.

"Get up," a deep voice ordered me, and I jerked away from the hand on my shoulder with a scream. I hadn't even heard anyone coming.

"Oh my god, please don't kill me," I begged, scrambling to get away.

"I'm not going to hurt you. What are you doing out here?" the man asked, stopping me easily.

"My friend…police…found a body…brother…we found it…monster…red eyes," I tried to speak, but everything came out jumbled and confusing and I couldn't slow down.

"Easy now. Try again. Just say yes or no, ok?" he asked. I nodded, pulling my legs up to my chin. "Did the police find a body?" he asked.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Were you out looking for it with your friend?" he guessed.

"Stiles. His name is Stiles. His dad is the Sheriff," I replied.

"You and your brother found the body out here when you were looking?" he went on, taking my hand in his. He was warm, though his hands were rough and nearly twice the size of mine.

"Half of a girl," I told him, closing my eyes against the images that flooded my head.

"Where did you find her?" he reached over to take my other hand now, and I realized how cold and very vulnerable I was.

"Up there, on top of the hill," my tears were falling again now, and he raised one hand to wipe them away.

"You're okay, I've got you," he told me, releasing me, a warm weight settled around my shoulders, and I looked down to see a leather jacket. "Come on, up," he ordered, lifting me easily. He carried me with little effort all the way to the edge of the woods, where he set me down on the road. "Wait," he told me, holding my arm. An SUV zoomed past, and around the bend ahead of us, I heard a yell and the screech of brakes.

"Scott!" I cried, recognizing the yell. "It's my brother," I gasped, whirling to the man holding me. I finally got a good look at his face, seeing the dark hair cut short and spiked in the front. He had a sharp jaw and high cheek bones, but the only accurate word for his appearance was strong.

"Go," he told me, releasing me.

"Take your jacket back," I realized, shrugging it off when he went to step away. I handed it over and said, "Thank you. And thank you for finding me." He nodded, and by the time I realized I didn't know his name, he was gone. I took off down the road, my bare feet slapping the wet pavement, and rounded the bend to find my brother standing in the middle of the road.

"Scott!" I cried, leaping into his arms.

He caught me, stumbling, and pressed his face into my dripping hair. "Oh, thank God," he murmured. We both jerked, looking up instantly when the howl drifted through the darkness, and I grabbed Scott's hand. He led me down the road, and soon we were stumbling into the house. Dripping and soaked to the skin, we both ended up in another shower, and then I had to help Scott bandage the perfectly shaped bite in his side. But when it came down to finally going to sleep, I ended up crawling into Scott's bed with him, the red eyes still burned inside my head.


	2. Wolf Moon pt 2

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, just letting you know that I'd really appreciate reviews, and that each episode is probably going to take a few chapters. I like to break them up by scene.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Ami**

Chapter 2: Wolf Moon part 2

My feet ached after last night and then this morning's walk to school, so when Danny found me, I was seated on one of the benches out front. He stood over me with a grin, offering his hand. "Hey, Pixie," he teased. "Here," he added, handing over several pieces of paper and a coffee cup.

"Hi, Danny," I greeted him tiredly, getting to my feet. I took the papers, glancing down to see that they were my schedule, and inhaled the steam from the drink. "Caramel frappuccino?" I guessed.

"With skim milk," he confirmed. I sighed gratefully and stood to hug him properly.

I took his hand as one of his lacrosse buddies yelled, "Yo, Jackson, let's go, bro!"

A minute later, Danny and I fell in behind Jackson as he strode into school, the King of his castle on the hill. "Hi, Jackson," I murmured.

"Hey, McCall," he nodded to me, scanning the hallways for a certain red-head. "Have you seen-" he started, but I pointed my thumb over my shoulder. "Thanks Pixie," he smirked down at me, and I nodded with little energy as he headed for Lydia.

"Why are you so tired?" Danny asked, standing next to me as I opened my locker. He held my coffee as I put up my little white board, pencil holder, mirror, and the pictures I'd decided to put up this year. The binders and folders I could still use from last year went in, organized quickly by color. I was left with a single notebook and folder in my bag, along with my small makeup kit and wallet.

"Stiles and Scott kept me up till midnight and then I had a really bad nightmare, so I got pretty much no sleep," I explained quietly. "What class do you have first?" I asked, opening my schedule. He didn't answer, because he didn't have to. He'd already highlighted the classes I had with him on my schedule. Grinning up at him, I slipped my arm through his and let him lead me to our French class. I ended up seated behind him and surrounded by girls giggling at Jackson.

Lydia gave them one look, and they shut up instantly, and I sighed in relief. "Ami, sit up here," said red-head ordered. I picked up my bag and moved up to sit in front of Danny as she scanned my outfit. "I need to take you shopping, don't I?" she asked.

"Lydia, you know I can't afford new clothes very often," I replied softly.

"Same deal as last year, sweetie; I buy you clothes, you let me tell you how to wear them," she shrugged.

"Deal," I agreed, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I turned away from the creepy eyes of one of the boys sitting on Jackson's other side. Lydia laughed, and Danny glared at the boy. Danny might be gay, but I was still off-limits to the other guys. "Are you going to practice today, Lydia?" I asked my voice still quiet. Danny said that he'd never heard me any louder than quiet, and of course, everyone agreed.

"Of course," she replied, smiling at Jackson. He nodded a smug smile on his face.

"Are you going?" Danny asked me, looking up at me to where I was perched on my desk.

"Someone has to cheer you on," I teased, "but, Stiles is my ride to work afterwards so I have to stick around." As I met his eyes, another face came unbidden to mind. One with high cheekbones and a sharp jaw line and steely eyes. I shook my head but couldn't banish the memory of my mysterious rescuer from my head. Blinking rapidly, I took my seat when the teacher came in.

"You okay?" Danny asked, leaning forward to whisper in my ear. I nodded, afraid that if I told Danny about the mystery man, I'd end up telling him about the red eyes still lingering in the back of my mind.

The rest of the day passed easily, with lectures on the classroom rules and the courses. I had a folder full of paperwork, but I knew I'd end up forging my mom's signature so I didn't have to bother her at work. At the end of the day, I opened my locker to find my whiteboard written on. "Keep your wings up, Pixie, we love you," it said. It was signed by Danny, Lydia, and Jackson. A second message told me there was a hug waiting from Scott and Stiles.

Smiling, I headed for the lacrosse field, my coat pulled close against the wind. I was glad I'd stuck over a dozen bobby pins into my hair to hold my knit beret on, because the wind would have taken it otherwise. It was easy to find Lydia and the new girl, Allison I thought her name was, sitting on the bleachers.

"Who is that?" Allison asked.

"Him? I'm not sure who he is," Lydia asked.

"That's my brother, Scott. Lyd, you've met him," I told them softly.

Lydia shrugged and asked, "Why?" to Allison.

"He's in my English class," the brunette told us. She smiled shyly, and I got it instantly. Scott had totally made some kind of impression; good or not, I had yet to know. Thanks to my over sensitive hearing, I winced when the coach blew the whistle, but my reaction was nothing compared to Scott's.

My brother doubled over, clutching at his head, and I watched him, confused. The first player in line, Jason I thought, launched a throw, and it slammed straight into Scott's facemask. He went down on his back, shaking his head. Even Coach laughed, and I glared daggers into his back. "Hey way to catch with your face, McCall!" Jackson called. I narrowed my eyes at Jackson, and prepared to give him a thorough scolding tomorrow.

Scott sighed, and on the bench in front of me, Stiles groaned, dropping his head. Then Scott got up, and I saw him lower his head and set his shoulders in determination. Then Brian went up, and he threw fast. I did a double take when I saw that Scott was staring at his cross. The whole line of players leaned around the kid in front of them to look at Scott, and even Stiles jumped in surprise. "Go, Scott!" I cheered. Through his mask, he flashed me a grin, and I offered a thumb up. Maybe his training was paying off.

When he caught the next one at his feet, Stiles cheered, and I let out a whistle. Stiles finally turned around to me after the fourth catch, and I laughed at the huge grin spreading across his face. "He seems like he's pretty good," Allison mused.

"Yeah, very good," Lydia replied, and I raised an eyebrow at her tone.

"What can I say, he's my brother," I bragged softly. Lydia laughed and Allison offered a smile.

Then Jackson slammed his cross stick into Corey's chest, stopping him fast. The captain lowered his head, and I was suddenly looking at two wolves circling each other. I blinked, and Jackson was charging the net, the whole crowd going quiet with baited breath. Jackson launched the ball t the net, and Scott lunged. Stiles shot up with a crazy cheer and a strange arm motion as I jumped to my feet, cheering. Lydia cheered beside me, and the crowd clapped, impressed. I glanced over at Lydia in time to see her smirk smugly at Jackson. I sighed, knowing Jackson had been caught leering over some new hottie. "That is my friend!" Stiles declared proudly.

"Yeah, Scott!" I called, watching him as he threw the ball with perfect aim back at the assistant coach who'd blown the whistle.

The boys ran through a few more shooting drills after that, but none of them scored on Scott. Not even Jackson. After the tryout, I waited at Danny's car, and he was quick to join me. He'd showered and changed back into his school clothes, and I was quick to notice the curious glances he kept throwing over my shoulder. "Your brother got good," he told me.

"He worked hard for it," I replied, hugging him quickly.

"Ami," he called as I started away, "His Majesty doesn't like the new threat."

"I know," I called over my shoulder, hurrying over to Stiles' Jeep. But right now, Jackson's ego was the least of my problems.

"Guys, I can't go in there dressed like this," I protested, gesturing to my skirt and tights.

"At least you have shoes on this time," Stiles said.

"And whose fault was that?" I snapped, following him into the trees with a sigh. "Scott, how did you do that today?" I asked. They jumped down through a stream and I was forced to pick my way across a tree that had fallen from one bank to the other.

"I don't know what it was. It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball. And that's not the only weird thing," I heard Scott say. I jogged after them, holding my skirt down, and heard him add, "I can hear things I shouldn't be able to hear; smell things."

"Smell things? Like what?" Stiles asked.

"Like the mint mojito gum in your pocket," my brother told him.

"I don't even have any mint mojito…" Stiles protested, reaching into his pocket. I caught them just in time to see him pull out a piece of green gum. I rolled my eyes at Scott as he held out his arms in a told you so expression. "So, all this started with a bite?" Stiles' voice instantly made me suspicious, and I turned to him warily, following Scott further into the woods.

"What if it's like an infection? Like, my body's flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock or something," Scott fretted.

"You know, I actually think I've heard of this. It's a specific kind of infection," Stiles started. Instantly I coughed, choking on a laugh, and went ahead as Scott stopped to face his friend. I giggled when I heard Stiles say, "I know! You're a werewolf!" They followed along behind me, Stiles still teasing Scott until I stopped in what looked like the clearing where the deer had kicked me.

I bent over, holding the back of my skirt down, rifling through the leaves as Scott crouched down where I thought he'd fallen. Then I looked up and my heart stopped. Standing less than three feet in front of me was a man in black jeans, a black shirt, and a black leather jacket. But when I looked up further, and saw his face, I took a step back and slipped. I fell, throwing my hands out behind me to catch myself, but the man moved, without sound, catching me easily and setting me on my feet. "At least you have shoes on this time," he murmured in my ear before moving closer to Scott and Stiles. Then I realized that he'd pressed something cold and round into my hand. I looked down to see the flashlight I'd dropped when I'd been attacked.

I hurried toward my brother, and Stiles looked up. He spotted the man, and whacked Scott. My brother got his feet as I went to him, and I fit myself neatly between them. "What are you doing here?" the man asked walking closer. When none of us replied, he said, "Huh? This is private property."

"Uh sorry man, we didn't know," Stiles said. But he clearly knew.

"Yeah, we were just looking for something, but," Scott told him. The man, who looked like he was maybe twenty-two, jerked his chin, an eyebrow going up. "Uh, forget it, uh," Scott said. And then something white flew through the air and Scott was holding his inhaler.

Starting to turn away, the guy spared me once last look, and I swallowed. It had been this dark, intimidating guy who'd found me? This surly kid had wiped my tears away? He moved his shoulders, drawing my eyes to his jacket, and I knew instantly that it was the same one I'd worn last night.

"Alright, come on man, I gotta get to work," Scott said, stepping forward.

"Dude," Stiles hit Scott in the chest, stopping him, "That was Derek Hale." But Scott showed no signs of knowing the name, though I thought I recognized it. "You remember, right? He's only like a few years older than us," Stiles said.

"Remember what?" Scott asked.

"His family? They all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago," Stiles said, and then I remembered.

I'd known Cora Hale in elementary school. "I remember. I knew his little sister," I told him.

"I wonder what he's doing back," Scott mused. Stiles scoffed, taking my hand to lead me back out of the woods. He helped me back into the Jeep, and I handed him the flashlight. We dropped Scott off at the clinic before Stiles headed across town. He left me at the front door to the book store where I worked after making me promise to pick up a few books on myths and legends.

When the storm rolled in, I was curled up on the old plush couch with my boss's big Border Collie and a cup of hot chocolate. Stiles' books on myths and legends were stacked up on the floor next to me. Though technically a store, people were welcome to come in and sit for as long as they liked to read. Mr. Roberts, my boss, had turned half the first floor into a reading lounge in front of the fireplace. Everyone in town called this place "the Den," since everyone felt at home here.

After the first peal of thunder made me jump a foot in the air, I decided to switch to a calmer book, and picked up Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. Of course, the main character had to remind me of Scott.

**AN: Please review!**


	3. Wolf Moon pt 3

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! So, I'm picking this chapter up during the storm. My sister came up with a good scene, and I decided it gets to lead the way. Also, fair warning, major out of character for Derek in this chapter. I had a little bit of fun with him, and now he's glaring at me. Oh dear.**

** . , Derek probably is my favorite character, but it's so gross how people pair 16 year olds with him with the age difference. Derek is probably going to be more an older brother figure towards Ami for when Scott is truly slacking.**

Chapter 3:

When the grandfather clock told me it was ten o'clock, I gathered Stiles' books into my bag and left my books on the side table. Mr. Roberts would leave them for me for tomorrow. I put Bandit in his crate, but left the door open. He was the security system for the store, since Mr. Roberts only had one camera on the front door. Locking the door to the basement storeroom, I walked through the store, turning off all the lights. After I pulled the blinds down, I slipped out the front door and locked it behind me. Plugging in my earphones, I shoved my iPod in my pocket and pulled my hood up. The rain was still coming down, and I knew I'd be cold and dripping by the time I reached the hospital. I had to walk almost a mile across town so Mom could give me a ride home after her shift.

In the dark, with thunder booming overhead, I tried to ignore the fact that I was very much alone. But I couldn't. The red eyes seemed to watch me from the darkness across the road. When the wind howled around me, I could hear the raspy laughter. I was shaking and terrified, on the verge of tears, by the time I'd gone just one block. When I looked back over my shoulder my heart stopped. Even from several doors down, I could hear Bandit barking insanely from the shop.

But the monster turned its head towards the shop and I heard the growl over the storm. Bandit went quiet instantly, and then those red eyes turned towards me.

"Oh, my god, no, please no!" I gasped, taking off. My bag thumped against my side, but I barely felt it over the frantic pounding of my heart. All common sense seemed to leave me as I raced, hopelessly, for the hospital. I darted across the road, barely missing falling in a huge puddle. In front of me was the bar and grill, but I didn't even think to run in there. At this time of night, it was a bar, and I was probably safer on the street. All the drunken idiots were in there now.

Then the door was flung open and I slammed straight into a very solid wall. I yelped and would have fallen flat on my face if two iron arms hasn't locked around my waist and held me up. "Thanks," I gasped, my voice cracking with my fear as I got my feet back under me. And I looked up into the steely green eyes of Derek Hale.

"We seem to be making a habit of this," he said. Had it been anyone else, the words would have sounded teasing, but not from Derek. His face was drawn, his eyes searching the darkness behind me. "Come on, I'll take you home," he decided, releasing me. Without waiting for my response, he tucked me under one arm, pulling me close, and led me towards a black Camaro parked on the street. Had I not been so scared of the monster in the darkness, I probably would have questioned the wiseness of getting in the car with him. He shut the door behind me, and I fumbled for the buckle, my hands shaking as I pulled it across me. He slid into the driver's seat, and took the buckle from me. "You're safe now," he told me softly. Then he pulled out, heading across town.

I shook my head, swallowing as I tried desperately to talk. "He's still out there," I managed to whisper.

"Who?" Derek asked.

"Whatever bit my brother last night in the woods? I saw it. He spoke to me. Then he was there, just now, just as I was leaving work!" I gasped out. Then another thought occurred to me. "My god, he knows where I work!" I sobbed, burying my face in my hands. My tears came now, and I found I couldn't stop them.

Instantly, Derek pulled over, parked, and pulled me into his arms. "I've got you. No one will hurt you," he promised.

"This isn't a school yard bully, Derek. You can't protect me from this like you did when Cora and I were little," I cried.

"It'll be okay, Ami," he soothed me, but he let me cry into his chest anyway. The Derek I remembered would have just kept driving and let me cry on my own, but I figured the fire had changed him in more ways than one.

When I finally pulled away, he took my hand in his. He still didn't smile, but as he pulled back onto the street, I realized how warm his hand was. "It really was you last night, wasn't it?" I asked softly.

"I told you I'd look out for you. Those two fools you hang out with couldn't have kept you safe. Ami, you know what the monster is. You know what I am," he reminded me.

"I thought you never coming home. And I never believed you," I admitted. "I never thought one of you could go so bad," I explained, "your mom was such a good Alpha. I didn't think it was possible to give in to the animal so completely."

"Now you know. But you have to stay out of the woods. He bit Scott last night, didn't he?" Derek sighed.

"Yeah. Is Scott going to become one of you?" I asked.

"Check tonight and see if he healed. That'll be your answer," he replied.

"You'll help him right? You can't make him go through this on his own," I pleaded.

"I'll do what I can. I don't know how it works for a bitten wolf. I've never had to deal with one," he warned me.

"It's all we have," I sighed, nodding. Then another thought occurred to me. "Derek, if you're back, is Laura home too?" I asked.

Instantly, his hand tightened around mine, and I bit my lip to keep from wincing. "Laura...Ami, Laura is the girl they found last night," he sighed.

"What? No. No, how?" I gasped.

"I don't know. Look, just do me one thing," he told me as we pulled up to my house. I unbuckled, and he let my hand go. "Meet me Friday," he requested.

"How will I find you?" I asked, opening the door.

"You'll remember," he finally smirked, and I nodded. I closed the door and bowed my head against the rain as I ran to the front door. Fishing for my keys in my bag, I pulled them out only to fumble them trying to fit the key into the lock. But Derek was there as I leaned over to get them. He unlocked the door easily and handed me back the keys. "You're safe, Pixie. I won't let anyone hurt you," he promised, kissing my forehead. Then he was gone, and his car was started.

"I'm glad you're home, Derek," I murmured into the storm before I closed the front door behind me.

**••••**

When I walked into school the next day in tight jeans, a blue button-down blouse, heeled boots, and one of Lydia's jackets, I looked more confident than I felt. I'd woken not to the storm but Scott returning to the house, soaking wet and in boxers. And I'd seen not only the lack of a wound but the shadowy shape at the edge of the woods.

I left the books in Stiles' locker, along with his washed and dried sweatshirt, and headed for the coffee shop in the school store. Danny met me outside, passing me a peppermint hot chocolate. "So, did you get any sleep last night?" he asked.

"Um, I got maybe four hours," I said, walking with him to class.

The next two days of school passed without incident. It wasn't until after school Friday that anything interesting happened. And of course, it was at the expense of my brother. Jackson's voice drew me near, and when I heard him, I felt my annoyance with him return. I rounded the corner just in time to see Jackson slam his fist into Scott's locker and walk off. Realizing he was heading for the locker room, I took a shortcut, stepping into his path when he came out of the locker room. With an icy glare, I slapped him across the face. "That's for thinking my brother would stoop low enough to take drugs," I snapped, "He trained all last year and all summer to be this good. And I don't care if you don't like it; you should be happy your team has another good player to make your bullshit leadership look good." Then I stormed away to find a place to sit for the tryout elimination game.

However much I tried to convince myself that Scott's sudden skills were coming from his training, I knew it wasn't true. Just the fact that my brother wasn't broken from Jackson's check made me realize that Derek needed to do something, and soon. The full moon was Friday. Scott's first full moon…was the night of the party…and it was tonight. I groaned quietly and looked down at the articles I'd printed out in the library on the Hale house fire.

I looked up in time to see Scott score. Everyone else jumped up, and I called, "Yeah, Scott!" But I flinched when Coach yelled for Scott. I hated loud noises, and having hypersensitive hearing didn't help at all. Danny thought that was why I was so quiet.

"You're startin' buddy; you made first line!" Coach declared, and everyone started clapping. Scott looked up at me, and I realized he was kind of in shock. He was bouncing and swaying.

"I guess that dream wasn't so pathetically unrealistic," I whispered, but I knew he heard me when the grin spread across his face. But now I was worried.

That night, when I got home from work, driven this time by Mom, I had a ton of emails from Stiles. When I saw the pages, and the picture of his computer chair, I realized why Scott was so shaken. "My god, no, Stiles, stop digging," I breathed. I typed back a simple response of, "I know. Don't push him. I'll talk to him, but I've got a plan. Just let me deal with it."

Then I dressed in black leggings, replaced my flats with heeled boots, and pulled my leather jacket over my long white shirt. "Mom, I'm going to meet a friend before the party, I'll get a ride home with Stiles or Danny," I peeked inside the living room to see her eating dinner in front of whatever TV show had caught her eye for tonight.

"Just remember your curfew!" she called, "love you!"

"I will, I love you too," I replied, running out the door. I ran all the way to the coffee shop where Cora and I used to get ice cream. The black Camaro parked out front told me I was in the right place instantly, and I darted inside. Mrs. Daniels, the owner, waved to me from the bakery counter, and her husband pointed to a booth in the back corner.

There I found Derek, who was sipping a coffee and had another sitting on the table. I slid onto the bench across from him, and he nodded to the coffee. "The pack takes care-" he started.

"Of its own. I know. That's what Cora always used to tell me," I told him, smiling shyly. When I took a sip, I found a hot caramel swirl with skim milk. "You remember," I realized, meeting his eyes with appreciation.

"You always loved caramel," he pointed out. "My mom used to buy those caramel candies just for you," he added.

"She did? I thought she bought them for Alec," I replied, smiling fondly when I thought of his younger brother. "Look, Scott's turning. The wound was gone on Wednesday. I was going to bring him to you, but we've got a bit of a problem," I told him.

"What kind of problem?" he asked.

"There's a party tonight. And he's taking Allison. If Jackson doesn't piss him off, she'll raise his pulse easily enough," I sighed.

"Allison who?" he asked. When I didn't answer, he reached across the table and caught my chin. "Ami, Allison who?" he repeated.

My eyes slid down, and I would have ducked my head if he didn't have an iron grip on me. "Allison Argent," I whispered. His hand tightened around my jaw, and I winced. "Derek, let go," I hissed, trying to pull back. I could feel my jaw grinding together and looked up to his eyes. They were angry and sad and ashamed, but so far away. "Derek, snap out of it. You're hurting me," I managed to say, and then he yanked back like I'd burned him. I fell forward, my hand coming up to massage my jaw. "What do I do?" I asked.

"Come with me. Get me into the party and I'll take care of Scott," he requested. I nodded and looked up at the clock on the wall.

"We've got time. It doesn't start for a little while and Scott's not going right away," I sat back, my hand dropping away from my jaw as I picked up my coffee.

"Next time you tell me something like that, make sure I'm not holding you," Derek mused, reaching out to gently run a finger across my jaw. When I didn't wince, I figured it wouldn't bruise. "How about we go have a little fun before your brother interrupts his own date?" he offered, getting to his feet. He held out his hand, and I got up, taking it. "It's been a long time since I took you anywhere," he said as we walked out the front door.

"The last time was my tenth birthday, and I wanted to go see some movie with Cora, but my dad had just left and my mom couldn't afford it," I remembered.

"So my mom made me take you, since I'd just gotten my license," he added.

"And I remember thinking how we were gonna get pulled over because you werewolves like to drive fast," I teased, bumping him with my shoulder.

"Who taught you to drive?" he asked, nudging me back.

"Sheriff Stilinski and Danny's mom," I told him.

"Guess I'll have to teach you how to drive properly," he grinned down at me and opened the passenger door for me.

"You'd actually let me drive your car?" I asked, shocked, when he started said Camaro.

"You can't be that bad of a driver," he scoffed.

"I'm better than you were when you started," I laughed as we sped off.

"Hey, I'm a good driver," he poked me in the ribs and I let out a peal of laughter. Derek chuckled and soon we were pulling up to Lydia's house. "Come on, Pixie, let's see if you can dance," he dared me.

"You know I can dance," I replied, taking his offered hand when he opened my door, "Your brother taught me everything you taught him."

As we were walking up, he leaned over and whispered, "I like the leather jacket."

"I thought you would," I murmured.

Then Lydia let us in, giving Derek an appreciative look over as she stepped aside. "I approve," she whispered to me, but I knew Derek heard her.

I grinned at her and shook my head. "Old friend," I whispered back.

When we walked in, there were only a few people dancing, and I knew it be a little while before everyone got out of work and got over here. "Hey, Lydia, can you play something off my playlist?" I asked.

"Sure. Which song?" she asked.

"Turn Around," I requested. Derek gave me a look, and I grinned up at him. I shed my jacket, passing it off to one of Lydia's friends and turned my back on him. When the music started, he took my hand and whipped me around. I spun past him, kicking up one leg, and people already there came over to watch. He spun me up against his chest then did a very un-Derek thing; he reached out and pulled my hair free of its ponytail before running his hand through it. And we danced.

As we danced, I was aware of people around us taking pictures, and Lydia watched with a proud smirk on her face. My complete trust in Derek was pretty clear if our dancing was anything to do by, because I knew he wouldn't let me fall. It was easy to let him spin me, dip me, even lift me. I had forgotten how much I loved to dance like this. I was good at it, having once taken contemporary dance lessons along with gymnastics.

We ended with one of his arms coming across my chest so his hand rested on my neck, the other wrapped around my waist. I had my back pressed to his chest, and I was reaching up, my hands on either side of his face. We'd drawn the attention of everyone there, and they all clapped for us. When he led my over to the fire pit, he grinned down at me. "Been a long time, huh, pixie?" he teased.

"Six years, wolf-boy," I replied.

He smirked down at me, and I thought he was going to say something, but then his head jerked up. "Scott's here," he whispered. "Go," he ordered, nodding to Danny and Jackson.

"Thanks for the dance," I murmured before I hugged him quickly and moved away. Danny helped me back into my jacket, and Jackson passed me a drink. I took one whiff of it and handed it back. "Good try, Jackson," I said, sarcasm rolling off my tongue. I saw Scott and Allison come in, and Scott saw Derek immediately. Scott looked away for a minute and Derek moved.

A few minutes later Scott looked like he was going to keel over. I followed Allison as he fled, but Stiles stopped me. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I'll explain later, I promise. Right now, I have to go after Scott," I sighed. He nodded and I raced down the front steps in time to reach Allison as Derek introduced himself. "Derek, can you take me home?" I asked him, hoping this was his plan.

"Of course, Pixie," he replied, flashing me a smile. "Would you like a ride too, Allison?" he offered. The other girl sighed and nodded, and I climbed into the backseat of the Camaro. I saw Derek turn on the backseat heat controls, and I bumped it up enough that Allison had to take off her jacket. I remembered a story Alec had told me once of a new wolf being most dependent on its sense of smell, and I figured the jacket would be the easiest way to leave a scent marker for Scott.

Then Derek got her talking, and when he dropped her off, she got out smiling. With her jacket left behind on the seat.

"Go easy on him," I ordered, "he'll be confused." He rolled his eyes at me and I leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for the dance, big brother," I teased, getting out.

"Any time, Pixie," he replied, and then he sped off into the darkness.

**Author's note: I know, I know, sooo OC! But I like big brother Derek so much more than angry bastard Derek, don't you? Please review! **


	4. Second Chance at First Line

**Author's Note: Sorry! I know, Derek was so OC, but it was too hard to resist! Besides, I had to give Ami something she's really good at. So I picked dance, and I mean like Latin dancing. **

**Thanks to all my awesome reviewers!**

**Ash B Bramble-maybe. Unfortunately, because of her relationship with Derek, she's pretty much off-limits to Isaac and Boyd, and Danny and Jackson and eventually Scott scare off everyone else. But we shall see what my imagination brings about **

Chapter 4-Second Chance at First Line

Scott spent most of Saturday sleeping off the full moon, and Sunday escaped to Stiles' house. I worked both days, and Derek found me in the store on Saturday morning to tell me about the hunters.

'_Stay away from my house around the full moon, ok? They'll be out in force,' he told me. I'd nodded, allowed him a sip of my hot chocolate and watched him leave. _

On Monday, everything seemed too calm, like a storm was brewing, and it all came down at practice. Jackson took a long stick, making him defense, and I knew I had to watch. Jackson slammed kid after kid back, and Coach Flintstock only egged on the other kids. Scott was so clearly distracted, and I moved down to the line to talk to Stiles.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"You know about the hunters, right?" he asked, watching Scott carefully. When I nodded, he continued, "Yeah, well the one that shot Scott is Allison's father."

"Damn," I growled and moved back up to the bleachers. Coach would make both of us run if he caught me talking to Stiles. And he wouldn't care about the fact that I was in heels and a skirt. He'd make me take my shoes off and run anyway. And then Jackson slammed Scott to the ground. Scott got up slowly, holding his arm, and doubled over. Concentrating, I saw the signs. I pulled out my phone and sent Derek a text to come. I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop Scott if he shifted on the field.

"McCall's gonna do it again!" Coach told the team, but I heard the barb aimed at my brother.

Then Scott charged. He lowered his shoulder and slammed Jackson back, and I winced. Then Scott grabbed at his head and fell to his knees. "Shit!" I gasped, running down the bleachers as Stiles grabbed Scott. The team gathered around Jackson, but I knew where the real concern was. Stiles looked up at me, panic clear on his face, and I motioned towards the locker room. As Stiles and Scott jogged passed him, my attention was drawn to the fact that Derek was there, standing at the edge of the field.

I ran passed him, hurrying after Scott, but he caught me outside the locker room. "Do something!" I cried. "Stop him!"

"Stiles needs to see how dangerous Scott is. They both need to understand that Scott can't play until he knows how to control this."

"Get away from me!" Scott roared, and I tried to pull free from Derek. I could hear the growls and the snarls and the crashes of Stiles hitting lockers.

"Derek!" I pleaded.

"He hasn't touched him yet," he assured me, listening easily. Then there was a roar, and a weird sound and distressed snarls. "Stiles has it under control," he told me, and then said boy was there, clutching the fire extinguisher.

"Stiles," Scott wheezed, making both Stiles and I lean around the door frame. "What happened?" Scott asked.

Stiles sighed, relieved, and stepped into the locker room, dropping the extinguisher. He pulled off his gloves throwing one aside, and said, "You tried to kill me. It's like I told you before, it's the anger, it's your pulse rising. It's a trigger."

"But that's lacrosse," Scott protested.

"It doesn't matter," I told him, loosening Derek's hold on me enough to see him.

"It's a pretty violent game if you hadn't noticed," Scott said.

"Well, it's gonna end up a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field. You can't play Saturday, you're gonna have to get out of the game," Stiles replied.

"But I'm first line," Scott reminded him.

"Not anymore," Stiles told him sadly.

"He's right, Scott. It's too dangerous. What if you really hurt someone?" I asked, letting Derek pull me away from the locker room.

When Scott got home a few minutes after Derek dropped me off, I knew he was still off. Once he flopped onto his bed, I joined him, resting my head on his back. Mom came in a minute later saying, "Hey, late shift again for me. But I am taking Saturday off to see your first game."

"No, Mom you can't," Scott protested. I sat up, bracing my weight on my elbows as I looked at her sadly.

"I can, and I will. Come on, one shift isn't gonna break us. At least, not completely," Mom sighed.

"I'll see if I can work overtime on Sunday," I offered, "Mr. Roberts usually has book work I can do."

"Hey what's wrong with your eyes?" she asked, sounding both concerned and possibly suspicious. Scott instantly sat up, probably thinking they were yellow, and I leaned over his shoulder to see. But I relaxed back onto the bed when I saw that they were normal. "You look like you haven't slept in days," Mom told him.

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm just stressed," Scott tried to assure her.

"Jut stress. Nothin' else," Mom pressed.

"Homework," Scott muttered.

"I mean, it's not like you're on drugs or anything, right?" she asked.

"Right now?" Scott checked. I groaned at his stupidity and dropped my face into his comforter.

"Right now? I'm sorry, what do you mean right now. Have you ever taken drugs?" Mom demanded.

"Have you?" Scott asked. That shut her up pretty fast and I got up to follow her out.

"Get some sleep," she suggested, walking out. Down stairs, where I started making grilled cheese sandwiches, she asked, "He's not on drugs, right?"

"No, Mom, neither of us is. He's not kidding about homework, and Coach pushes him really hard, and I don't think my waking him up with nightmares is helping much," I informed her. She kissed my temple before she left, offering me a sympathetic smile. When dinner was done, I called Scott down, and watched him scarf down two entire sandwiches and half of mine. "Here," I called, throwing him an apple as he left.

When I walked up the stairs to my room to get in the shower, I heard Stiles say that Jackson had a separated shoulder. I guessed they were using video chat, since speaker phone had a crappy sound quality. I tuned out their talking with my earphones, but I couldn't ignore the sound of something slamming into the wall between our rooms. I jumped up and ran through the hallway to peak in.

"What are you talking about?" Scott demanded, his voice slightly muffled and slurred. I looked in and to my complete shock, Derek had Scott pinned against the wall. I listened to Derek, heard him berating Scott, and retreated to my room.

Sinking onto my bed, I pulled my feet up as I stared out the window at the waning moon. After a minute, I could feel his eyes boring into my back, and I leaned forward. I opened the window and curled up on my side, turning my back on Derek. "Ami," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, but I don't have very long to teach him. To the Argents, he's the main target until he learns control."

"You mean until he's in control. They'll hunt him no matter what if they find out the Alpha can compel him," I replied.

It was the hand on my shoulder that made me roll over, trying to mask my wince. "I know," Derek sighed, standing over me. "I'm so sorry, Ami. I don't know what I'm doing," he said, and then the look in his eyes changed. "You're in pain," he observed. I glanced down at his hand, and he pulled his hand back. Only to yank my jacket and shirt aside, revealing the square of white bandages on the back of my shoulder. "What happened?" he demanded his voice a low growl I recognized.

"It was my fault, Derek. Scott closed his window Friday night, and I went in and opened it. He was in the bathroom, trying to relax, so I locked the door to the bathroom from inside my room. Stiles wasn't supposed to show up, but he did, and Scott slammed the door shut on him. Then Stiles told him about you driving Allison, and went straight for the window. I didn't get out of the way fast enough," I explained, sitting up.

"Let me see," he ordered. I shed my jacket and pulled off my shirt, leaving me in a black cami that exposed the entire bandage. Pushing my hair out of the way, he peeled it away and I hissed in pain. "Did you clean them?" he asked. Afraid that if I spoke my voice would crack in pain, I nodded. "They still look fresh," he murmured.

I knew that the four jagged lines were still red and open, but I thought they'd stopped bleeding. "Acting like there's nothing wrong hurts enough to keep them from healing," I replied, my nails digging into my palms. I felt some of the pain leave my body and turned on him with a protest, "You're not supposed to do that to me."

"It's not serious," he assured me, and I let him replace the bandage. Then he leaned down to kiss the top of my head and was gone. I closed the window behind him, basking in the moonlight for a minute before crawling into bed.

Friday came way faster than I thought it would, but it was Saturday I was dreading. In the Algebra 2 glass I shared with Scott and Lydia, I breathed instructions to Scott to help him solve the problem on the board; I knew he could hear me, even though I could barely hear myself. "Leave him be, Lydia. Jackson wouldn't have gotten hurt if he wasn't trying to show Scott up," I muttered to her, glaring at her as she sat down beside me.

When I walked out of my French class, I had to move aside for Lydia and some lacrosse kid I didn't know the name of and saw Allison pass me. "Allison!" Scott called, but she was walking away.

"I really have to go," she replied, looking over her shoulder. Her black jacket was slung over her arm, and I realized Scott knew Derek had returned it. I watched as Scott's shoulders rose and his jaw clenched, but he didn't shift. I hurried over and caught his arm, forcibly dragging him with me to our next class.

In the hallway after school, Jackson and Danny stole me away from Allison, and I took Danny's other jersey from him with a grin. "Convince Lydia to wear yours, yet, Jackson?" I teased. He glared at me and I grinned up at him. He suddenly noticed something, and I flinched back when he reached for my shoulder. "Don't," I hissed at him, turning away.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"I went to see Scott at the clinic and one of the dogs bit me. It's nothing serious, it just hurts," I told him. He nodded, though I knew he didn't completely believe me, and Danny wrapped his arm around my waist.

"So, Pixie girl, who was that tall, dark, handsome dancer?" he asked, and I realized I'd been so busy I hadn't gotten to tell him about my brother being back.

"Do you remember Cora Hale?" I replied.

"Of course; she was your Jackson," he assured me.

"Do you remember how close I was to the rest of the family?" I went on, walking with him towards the parking lot.

"I remember that Mrs. Hale came to your competitions even when Melissa couldn't, and Alec used to teach you to dance, and Laura used to pick you up from school with Cora," he told me.

"Do you remember Derek? He was older than Alec, but younger than Laura," I hoped my tone would tell him, and of course, him being Danny, he figured it out.

"That was Derek Hale?" he exclaimed, and I hushed him instantly.

"My god, Danny, quiet. Yes, that was Derek; yes, he's hot; yes, he's staying for awhile; no, he's not my boyfriend; no, I don't have a crush on him," I whispered as we crossed the parking lot.

"Damn, you know me too well," he sighed.

"I don't care even if you are gay, I'm not talking boys with you," I laughed, sliding into the passenger seat of his dark blue Mustang. He shook his head at me and I glanced down at my phone_. _

"_Heard that," _a text message from Derek told me. I looked around the parking lot, but I couldn't see him anywhere. _"So, what am I if I'm not a boyfriend or crush?" _came the next message.

"_What are you doing here now? You're my brother, wise-ass," _I replied.

"_Returning Allison's jacket. I sure do a better job of it than your actual brother," _he said.

"_Leave him alone. It's not his fault he got bit. He's got a lot on his plate right now," _I reminded him. "Where are we going anyway?" I asked Danny.

"The bakery Kyle always goes to after school," he replied.

"I finally get to meet him?" I asked, grinning over at him.

"He insisted," the tall boy informed me. I giggled and leaned over to play with the radio, only to have my hand swatted away. "I like this song," Danny said.

My phone buzzed in my hand and I looked down, expecting to see Derek's teasing response. Instead, I read, "_Go home right now. Your brother just came by my place, and he's not happy. He saw the place where I buried Laura." _I groaned and sat back angrily. "You can't come, can you?" Danny asked, looking over at my face.

"No. My brother's done something unusually stupid," I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from slamming my phone down on the dash board. Danny nodded and headed for my house. When he pulled up in the driveway, I saw Stiles' Jeep and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Wish me luck," I sighed.

"Call me tonight, okay, Pixie?" he requested.

"You got it, Danny-boy," I smiled at him, loving him even more for not being upset with me, and darted up the walkway to the house. I stormed up the stairs and waited outside Scott's room.

"But when we do know, your dad nails Derek for the murder, and you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing. Because there's no way I'm not playing that game," Scott said. They came out of the bedroom, but froze in place when they found me blocking the stairs.

"Derek Hale is not a murderer," I snapped at them. Stiles flinched, but Scott was angry, and stubborn.

"I smelled the blood. I saw the burial spot," he growled at me.

"And did you even think about the fact that the BURNED DOWN, ABANDONED HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS WOULD MAKE THE PERFECT PLACE TO HIDE A BODY?" I snarled. Scott's hands clenched at his side, and I glared at him. But I knew I couldn't tell him that the girl was his sister. I had no way to prove it. And I had way to prove that it was the Alpha who'd killed her.

Stiles sighed and lifted me over his shoulder, carrying me down the stairs as Scott followed. I didn't bother to fight; I couldn't make him out me down with any amount of yelling at him or pounding on his back. He'd just ignore me and I'd still end up in the back seat of the Jeep.

But I drew the line at going in the hospital. I hated the building with a passion, another thing I'd picked up from Cora. Closed in, with lots of people and suffering, in a too sterile building; yeah, no thanks.

When Scott and Stiles came out a little while later, Scott was angry and convinced. Stiles headed for our house, and I grabbed Scott by the shoulder. "You can't do this. We have to trespass to get up there, and even if the police believe you, how do explain how you found her, how you knew it was the same girl, any of it?" I asked. "You can't, not without exposing yourself or making yourself look crazy."

"I don't care, Ami. Derek has to pay for what he's done. And this will keep him away from us," Scott declared. I shook my head, but I knew Scott didn't remember that Derek was just as much my older brother as he was. I doubted he even remembered my friendship to Cora.

When Stiles and Scott packed up the gear they thought they'd need, I got out of the car and went inside. I wasn't helping them dig up the body of the girl who'd been my older sister.

Sitting on my bed in the growing moonlight, I messaged Derek,_"Leave the house now. Scott knows about the body and he's coming to dig up the half at the house. I couldn't stop him. He doesn't know it's your sister. You have to tell him about the Alpha. He's going to have you arrested."_


	5. Second Chance at First Line pt 2

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Just letting you know that I really appreciate all the views, but I'd love for people to leave reviews, even if it's just to say you like it! And if there's something you don't like, or you see mistakes, let me know! I really want people to like this story, and I'd love to know how to make it better! Plus, if you think of a scene between characters that you want to see, let me know! I'll do what I can to make it work!**

**Floweringbirdies-thanks for the continuing support!**

Chapter 5-Second Chance at First Line, part 2

When Stiles came running into the house, without Scott, I knew something had gone wrong. "What did you do?" I snapped, getting to my feet. They'd been gone all night.

"Um, I might have made Scott shift by exposing him to Wolfsbane," he replied, taking in the fact that I was wearing Danny's jersey over black leggings and maroon Toms. "You ever going to wear Scott's jersey?" he asked curiously.

"Once he can play safely, sure," I retorted. "But he's probably giving it to Allison," I added on second thought. "Go home, Stiles. Get ready for the game. I'll find him," I said, pushing him out of my room. I had to push him all the way out the door, but he finally gave in and left.

"Where the hell did they find Wolfsbane?" I asked myself softly, pulling my leather jacket on over the jersey. Grabbing my bag, I was about the run out the door when it opened to reveal Scott. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," he grinned down at me and hurried up the stairs. Shaking my head, I dropped down on the couch to wait for Mom.

By the time she got home from the shift she'd taken to avoid working tonight, I'd texted Stiles that Scott was fine, and Scott was gone. I'd changed into black jeans and boots, since it'd gotten colder than I'd expected, and swapped my leather jacket for a Northface. My hair tumbled around my shoulders in loose curls, and I was finishing my makeup while Mom changed out of her scrubs. "Is that Danny's jersey, Ami?" she asked when she came downstairs.

"Like he'd let me wear anyone else's," I replied, smiling at her. It was nice to see her in normal clothes, looking like a normal mom. To my surprise, she let me drive over to school, and we chatted about my classes and friends.

"Any boys catch your eye yet?" she asked. I sputtered, shocked that she'd asked so directly, and shook my head.

"One will come eventually," she assured me, and I nodded mutely. I figured out how excited she was when she looped her arm through mine as we walked to the field, and I was glad to spend some time with her. After she'd adopted me at the age of eight, Mr. McCall had left only a year later, and she'd been forced into working all the time to pay for everything. It had been a long time since I'd had some mother-daughter time.

When we got to the bleachers, Mom waved to Scott, and I grinned at him. But I was still worried, mostly because Scott didn't have any kind of anchor against his anger to keep him in control. I was going to have to count on his conscience and his super hearing to keep him calm. But I forgot about Scott's temper for a minute when Jackson checked Scott so he could get the ball and scored. "Isn't that your friend Jackson?" Mom asked me quietly as the Beacon Hills fans jumped up, cheering.

"Right now, he's not my friend," I told her, narrowing my eyes as I watched Scott and Jackson. Mom got her feet, clapping reluctantly. I didn't even bother to stand, since I was now quite mad at the blonde. Apparently I needed to slap him harder. Then I saw something in the stands catch Scott's eye, and looked over to see Lydia and Allison holding up a sign for Jackson. I groaned and murmured, "oh no, here we go."

Jackson gathered everyone but Scott in the middle of the field, and I saw Danny arguing with him. But Jackson pushed, and Danny gave in with a sigh before returning to the goal. "Derek, where are you?" I asked softly when I realized Scott was fighting the shift as he bent over. The ref stopped, but took Scott's nod for granted and walked on, thankfully. The MFH kid behind Scott backed up a step, and I realized I needed to help. "Scott, listen to me. Listen to my voice. Everything is okay. Just focus on winning the game," I said. Thankfully, Mom wasn't listening, and it seemed to work for a minute.

Until Allison got up with another sign for Jackson. "Scott, she likes you, not Jackson. Lydia's just pushing your buttons. You're okay," I spoke quickly, but Scott flicked his hand on his stick, and I knew he'd heard me. Mom gripped my shoulder from where she stood beside me and I watched in horrified fascination as Scott leaped off the MFH player to grab the ball. He ran for the net, dodging other defenders like they were hardly moving. Then he scored, and I jumped up, cheering for my brother. But I was worried. He wasn't in control at all, and I'd seen Mr. Argent in the stands with Allison and Lydia.

"Oh, Scott, no. Focus!" I hissed when the MFH defender actually willingly passed to him. "Easy, easy. Breathe. Relax," I kept talking when I realized how much danger everyone on and off the field was in. Derek wasn't here, and I could only keep speaking. But when I saw the hole torn straight through the goalie's cross, I swore, "Damn it, Scott, listen to me!" Mom cheered, astonished, and I tried to smile at her. Then Scott got the ball again, and the defenders just backed away from him.

They made a circle around him, and when I saw the time on the clock, I hissed, "Scott, they aren't prey. Their defending their goal." But that wet out the window when they charged him from all sides. "Shoot!" I cried, springing to my feet, and he did. The goalie made a hopeless swipe at the ball, and I laughed, hugging my mom excitedly. I joined the rest of the fans as they ran down onto the field, and felt myself being picked up from behind.

"Danny!" I admonished, laughing. He spun me around, and then set me back on the ground as I stretched up to hug him. I didn't mind the smell of sweaty boys after living with Scott and usually Stiles too. Danny grinned at me, his helmet gone, then joined his teammates in their celebration.

Then I saw Stiles on the bench, and Scott running towards the school. Allison was going after my brother, and I swore. The Sheriff was on the phone as I ran over to Stiles, but when he saw me, the teen jumped up. "Allison just went after Scott!" I told him.

"Hold on," he whispered, gesturing to his dad.

"Mr. Stilinski, everything ok?" I asked when the Sheriff got off the phone.

"Yeah, just the medical examiner's findings from the body the boys found. Guess you were wrong, Stiles. Derek wasn't the killer. It was an animal that killed her," the Sheriff replied.

"Well, that's good. Does that mean you'll release him?" I asked. The sheriff nodded gravely, and moved away to make that call.

"Shit. Come on," Stiles took my hand and ran for the locker room, and I found I could actually keep up. We ran through the hallway, but skidded to halt in front of the locker room door. Scott's helmet was lying on the floor, and I bent down to retrieve it as Stiles went in. I followed, only for him to grab me before I went into the shower area. He jerked his head in the direction I'd wanted to go, and I saw Scott and Allison. Making out.

Blanching, I pulled back and gathered Scott's dropped glove. I heard Allison say, "Stiles,' as she walked out and smothered a giggle.

"Hey, yeah," Stiles replied, and then I actually laughed softly. He sounded so awkward.

Scott came out with a goofy grin on his face, and I laughed at him. "Oh, Scott, you're so whipped," I teased.

"I kissed her," Scott said. He sounded like he was in la-la land.

"We saw," Stiles and I chorused.

"She kissed me," Scott went on.

"Saw that too," we told him.

"It's pretty good, huh?" Stiles asked. I whacked him with Scott's glove, but laughed at the look on Scott's face.

"I don't know how, but I controlled it. I pulled it back. Maybe I can do this. Maybe it's not that bad," Scott said.

"Oh, Scott," I sighed sadly. He had no idea about the Alpha controlling him.

Then Stiles tried to avoid ruining Scott's mood. "We'll talk later, then," he decided, slapping Scott's shoulder. I stepped aside to let him walk away, nodding appreciatively.

Scott grabbed his jersey, stopping him. He knew something was wrong. "What?" he asked gently.

"The uh medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found," Stiles tried to stop the conversation, but now Scott was interested.

"And?" my brother pushed.

"Well, I'll keep it simple. Medical examiner determines killer of girl to be animal, not human. Derek's human, not animal; Derek not killer; Derek let out of jail," Stiles told him.

"Are you kidding?" Scott replied.

Stiles glanced at me, then dropped the bomb, "No, and here's a bigger kick in the ass. My dad ID'ed the dead girl, both halves. Her name was Laura Hale."

"Hale?" Scott gasped. I whimpered, clutching Scott's glove to my chest. Stiles words had a completely different meaning to me than they did to Scott. Scott and Stiles had no idea about the real relationship I'd had with the Hales, since I'd never told them, and Stiles had just confirmed that my older sister was really dead.

"Derek's sister," Stiles sighed.

I passed Scott his glove, seeing the horrified look on his face, but I didn't stay. I needed to leave before my tears came. I ran back out into the parking lot, and found Danny waiting for me. He was talking with my mom, and I wormed my way into his arms. "You okay?" Mom asked me, and I nodded.

Danny smiled down at me, and saw how close I was to tears. "I'll bring her home before midnight, Melissa, I promise," he told her, and ushered me into the car. I saw Scott getting into Mom's car, and Stiles throwing his gear in the Jeep, but I still couldn't see Derek anywhere.

When we got to Danny's house, he carried me into the house, since I barely recognized that we weren't at the school anymore. He made me a cup of hot chocolate and brought me up to his room. There, he set me down on the bed and covered me in a blanket. Then he jumped in the shower, and I stared at the wall, my mind reeling.

Danny's phone went off, and I recognized Jackson's ringtone. I picked it up and managed a choked, "Jackson?"

"Pixie? Are you guys coming?" the blonde's voice greeted me.

"I don't…I can't…" I tried to respond, but only succeeded in breaking down.

"What happened, Ami?" Jackson asked.

"She's dead, Jackson," I cried, and as I said the words, the reality hit me.

"Who's dead, Aim?" he pressed.

"Laura! My Laura," I sobbed, pulling my legs up to my chest.

Warm arms came around me from behind, and I recognized Danny's scented shampoo and body wash. He took the phone from my hand, and said, "We aren't coming, Jackson. She just found out from the Sheriff. Remember, they thought there was a possibility that Laura and Derek hadn't been there during the fire. Ami's been hoping Laura would come home all these years, and now she's dead." There was a pause as Jackson spoke, and I turned into Danny's chest, my tears instantly leaving wet marks on his blue tee. "I don't know, Jackson. She might not like that. You weren't exactly nice to her brother during the game," Danny protested.

"Don't care," I murmured through my tears.

I didn't hear much more until Danny put the phone down and whispered, "He's on his way." Then he sat down on the bed beside me and pulled me up into his arms. I cried for a long time, and when Jackson got there, I ended up squished between them on the bed.

When I woke the next morning alone in Danny's bed, I realized my mom was probably freaking out. I got up to find that I wasn't in my own clothes. A pair of Danny's flannel pajama pants had replaced my jeans, and I wore one of his tank tops over my cami. My stuff was sitting on his desk, my boots by the door. I glanced in the mirror and stopped, appalled. The skin around my eyes was red and raw, my eyes bloodshot and empty. Knots had formed in my hair, so I grabbed the brush Danny kept for me on his dresser. It took a few minutes, but I managed to untangle it. It ended up in a messy bun, but there was nothing I could do about my eyes, or the paleness of the rest of my face. My lips were thin and white, and even when I bit them a few times, they stayed that way.

I finally gave up on my appearance and headed downstairs. I found Danny and Jackson; both dressed the same way as me, in the living room. Mrs. Mahealani jumped up when she saw me and wrapped me in the tightest hug she could manage. "I made you peppermint hot chocolate, sweetie," she told me.

"Thanks, Mrs. Mahealani," I smiled at her, and leaned over the back of the couch to hug Danny when she left. Jackson reached up and pulled me over the back of the couch with ease, and I ended up laying across their laps.

"Mom called Melissa," Danny assured me, and I nodded into his chest, "you can stay all day if you want."

"Can I? No one is at home and I don't want to be alone," I murmured.

"So much for McCall being a good brother," Jackson sneered.

I threw a pillow at him, but he caught it easily enough. "Leave Scott alone, Jackson," I protested. But my heart wasn't in it. I knew better than to blame Scott for not being there, since he was dealing with being a werewolf now, but I couldn't help but feel alone. Scott was too busy trying to learn, Stiles was too busy researching werewolves, Derek was too busy trying to help, and Scott wasn't letting him, Lydia was too busy trying to make Jackson jealous while using Allison to piss off Scott, and Jackson was too busy trying to figure out Scott's secret.

"So it's true?" Danny asked. I nodded and sat up, moving off the couch to curl up in one of the recliners.

"We've had some problems come up and Scott is having a hard time with them," I sighed.

"But you're okay," Jackson reminded me.

"Yeah, because I already knew! I've already dealt with it!" I exclaimed. "They weren't problems for me. I grew up with it in foster care, I was used to it. It wasn't a big deal to me, but it's brand new to Scott, and school just started, and he made first line," I explained, then turned to Jackson and snapped, "And, you by the way, need to grow up and get over the fact that he's good without using drugs. I don't care if you don't like him, be a team player and pass him the freaking ball."

Then I looked over at Danny's face and realized I'd said something that startled him. "What? What did I say?" I asked.

"That was the first time you mentioned your foster care," Danny told me softly. "We thought you'd bounced around, had it really rough, that was why you never talked about it."

"Wait you don't know?" I realized.

"Know what?" Jackson asked.

"I grew up in foster care here in Beacon Hills. I was only in one foster house until Melissa adopted me when I was eight. You knew my foster sister," I told them.

"We do?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, you did. Cora wasn't just my best friend. She was my foster sister," I replied.

"Wait, so the guy you were dancing with at the party was your brother?" Jackson realized.

I looked back and forth between them, seeing that they really didn't know, and sighed. Then I said, "Yeah, Derek's my brother just as much as Scott. My foster family was the Hales."


	6. Pack Mentality

**Author's Note: I love you all for coming back every day to read this **** Please let me know if there's any kind of scene you'd like to see!**

**Marine 76-love your profile picture! And thank you for being such a loyal reviewer!**

**Psychotic Smartypants-I'm sorry! There will be some, just not between those two particular characters! (Your review cracked me up****)**

**Flowering birdies-I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't upset you too much! I was basing that scene off something similar that happened to me, so I totally understand.**

Chapter 6-Pack Mentality

On Monday morning, I had a funny feeling in my head. It was almost like I was remembering a conversation; I could hear the voice, but not the words. I tried to ignore it as I dressed, but that was easier said than done. Standing in front of the mirror, I smiled at how different I looked from yesterday morning. Today I wore teal, black and white Aztec print leggings with a fitted teal North Face sweatshirt and white lace up boots. A silver anchor necklace, white stud earrings, and silver heart rings completed the outfit, along with silver based makeup.

The outfit made me sad, but in a good way I guessed. Teal had been Laura's favorite color, and the necklace had been a gift from her. I thought it was better to wear them and remember her life than to wear black and mourn her death. I wasn't going to ignore her death, but I knew I couldn't let it control me. I had to keep going; I had to keep living now that she couldn't.

I'd already finished up in the bathroom, but I didn't hear anything that sounded like Scott getting ready. So I knocked on the door and peaked in to find him braced against the sink, his head bowed. "Scott, you okay?" I asked, holding onto the door. He looked up, facing me in the mirror, and my breath caught. His eyes were yellow, his canines exposed, but it was his blood stained hands that made me scream.

He lunged, and I leaped backwards, flinging the door shut. A furious snarl erupted from him as the door slammed on his face. I scrambled out of my room, snagging my bag as I fled down the stairs. My brother's enraged howl followed me out the door as I ran, but I didn't dare look back. The image of bloody claws reaching for me urged me to just keep running.

Then the black Camaro came flying around the corner and I skidded to a stop as Derek braked. The car spun, sliding to halt facing the complete opposite direction. I dove into the passenger seat and Derek took off. He drove me straight to school, and stayed with me in the parking lot to wait for Danny. "I need to find a way to protect myself," I sighed, leaning against the Camaro.

"There might be a way to keep Scott from getting too close to you, but it would keep him away in human form too," he told me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I leaned against his side contentedly. "It would keep you safe from the Alpha, but it would keep me away too," he added.

"What is it?" I asked my curiosity spiking.

"Do you still have the locket my mother gave you?" he asked. When I nodded, he told me, "I was thinking we could put Wolfsbane inside it."

"No, I can't do that to you and Scott," I protested. But I was torn. It would keep me safe from the Alpha and Scott's wolf, since inhaling the scent enough could kill them.

He nodded, almost relieved, and said, "I'll think of something." I looked up at him and realized I could see real emotion in his eyes for once. The worry melted a bit of the ice from the green, and I thought they were much more appealing when they weren't so cold. "Your friend is here," he told me. I looked up to see Danny getting out of his car next to Jackson's Porsche. "I'll pick you up for work, okay?" he asked.

"Thanks," I murmured, stretching up to kiss his cheek before I headed for Danny and Jackson. As I walked away, I noticed a lot of people staring at the Camaro and smirked.

"You look good today," Danny told me when I reached him. He hugged me, holding me tighter than usual, and I knew he was worried about me.

I grinned up at him and took the coffee one of the boys had grabbed me. "What would I do without you guys?" I asked.

"Not drink coffee," Danny teased. I laughed and looked over in time to see Scott and Stiles walk by. I could hear Scott telling Stiles about attacking somebody, and as we followed, I heard enough to figure out he'd dreamed about killing Allison in the school bus.

"I'll meet you in class, okay? I have to ask Scott something," I murmured to Danny. He nodded and I hurried after the pair.

I reached them in time to walk outside with them. "Like it actually happened," Scott said.

"It was a dream, Scott, it couldn't have happened" I assured him. Only to stop short when I saw the scene in front of me, and stare, horrified.

"I think it did," Stiles said. Scott whirled, yanking the door back open, and Stiles ran after him. I took in the blood on the bus, and the wrecked back door, and swallowed. I snapped a picture on my phone to send to Derek, and ran after the boys.

"Scott, breathe. You can't shift in here," I ordered, taking his arm and pulling his hand from his hair. But he yanked away and turned the corner. I heard him yell, and the locker being slammed, but didn't hurry after him. I followed though, just keeping an eye on him, and saw him back straight into Allison. They talked as they picked up her books, and we all groaned when the announcement was made about our classes.

Then Jackson slung his arm around my shoulder, and I looked up at him. We both stopped short when we saw the damage done to Jackson's locker. "What the hell?" Jackson demanded to nobody in particular, trying to close his locker.

"Nice one, Scott," I muttered when I saw that Scott was staring.

"What are you looking at, ass-wipe?" Jackson snapped. I slapped him upside the head as Scott walked away. "What do I do with my stuff?" Jackson asked.

"Well, half your classes are by Lydia's locker so ask her to share till they fix it," I suggested.

"And the other half?" he asked.

"You can put your books in my locker if you want," I shrugged. I had plenty of room, since I'd put in a second shelf, and I had a full locker. He nodded and I helped him carry his books to my locker. He brought the rest to Lydia once I'd arranged them on the top shelf.

I sat in Chemistry first period, deep in thought, worried. I could hear Scott and Stiles easily, though I sat a few seats away. The adrenaline rush from a dream like that would have been enough to make Scott shift this morning, but it didn't explain the blood. Was it possible Scott actually had attacked someone? "Mr. Stilinski, if that's your idea of a hushed whisper, you might want to pull the headphones out every once in a while," Mr. Harris said smugly. "I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance, yes?"

"No," Stiles protested, and I snickered into my hand. He sounded like a little kid. But he and Scott moved anyway.

"Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to be too much," Harris smirked. Stiles laughed humorlessly as I glared at Harris, not bothering to mask my hatred of him.

"Hey, I think they found something!" the girl now next to Scott cried, and everyone hurried to the window. I tried to look, but Jackson was in front of me, so I ducked under his arm and squeezed between him and the window. I watched, horrified, as the paramedics wheeled the stretcher towards the ambulance.

"That's not a rabbit," Scott muttered to Stiles, who was standing beside Jackson. Then the bloody man shot upright with a yell, and everyone jumped. I yelped and fell back into Jackson, who steadied me with one arm.

"Okay," Stiles breathed, and I turned to see Scott backing away. Stiles and I went to him, Stiles saying, "This is good, this is good. He got up; he's not dead. Dead guys can't do that." But I could that it wasn't helping Scott.

"Stiles, I did that," my brother realized.

"Alright, everyone back to their seats," Harris ordered, shooing us away from the window. I moved my stuff to Scott's vacated seat, not wanting to be able to see out the window the way I could, and Harris didn't protest. I might have hated the guy, and he might have taken special pleasure in tormenting my brother and Stiles, but he respected my capabilities and didn't question me.

"We don't know that you did that, Scott," I murmured. I spoke too quietly for my new partner to hear, but I knew Scott could.

At lunch later that day, I found my usual crowd sitting with Scott and Stiles per Lydia's unspoken order. Danny sat down next to Stiles and I sat down next to him, raising an eyebrow at Scott. He shook his head in an "I don't know, don't ask me," look, and I sighed.

"Get up," Jackson ordered the kid next to Lydia.

"Why don't you ever ask Danny to get up?" the kid asked Jackson.

"Because I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot," Danny retorted, and I laughed softly into water bottle. Lydia smiled at Danny, and Danny continued, "So, I hear they're saying it's some type of animal attack, probably a cougar.

"I heard mountain lion," Jackson told him.

"A cougar is a mountain lion," Lydia told the blonde. Then, realizing that sounded like she was smarter than him, added in her faked dumb voice, "Isn't it?"

"Who cares? The guy's probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna die anyway," Jackson replied.

"Actually, I just found out who it is," Stiles told the table. "Check it out," he held his phone out so we could see, but I had to lean around Danny, and ended up sitting in his lap.

Stiles played the video, and when it was done, Scott said, "I know this guy."

"You do?" Allison asked.

"Yeah, when I used to take the bus back when I lived with my dad; he was the driver," my brother explained, looking right at Stiles.

"I remember him," I realized, nodding at Scott.

"Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please? Like, oh, we are we going tomorrow night?" Lydia asked, turning to Allison. I choked on the bite of apple I'd stolen from Danny, and Jackson whacked me between the shoulder blades. Spitting the apple into a napkin, I glared at him and he shrugged. "You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow night, right?" Lydia pressed.

Swallowing, Allison said, "Um, we were thinking of what we were gonna do."

"Well, I'm not sitting home again watching lacrosse videos, so if the four of us are hanging out, we're doing something fun," the strawberry blonde informed the brunette couple.

"Hanging out?" Scott asked, turning to Allison. She shrugged, and Stiles shook his head, covering his mouth in horror. Personally, I couldn't believe this was happening, and I don't think Danny could either. He looked down at me with wide eyes and I could only shake my head. "Like the four of us?" Scott continued. "Do you want to hang out, like us and them?" He was talking straight to Allison, thinking she had changed the plans for their date.

"Yeah, I guess, it sounds fun," she replied.

"You know what else sounds fun?" Jackson asked, leaning to take the fork from Lydia's tray, "stabbing myself in the face with this fork."

Lydia took it from him and placed her hand on his knee, suggesting, "How about bowling? You love to bowl."

"Yeah, with actual competition," Jackson told her gently, but it was still a dig at Scott.

"How do you know, we're not actual competition?" Allison challenged, leaning around Scott. "You can bowl, right?" she asked my brother. My eyes went wide, and I figured I looked pretty much the same as Stiles. Scott couldn't bowl at all.

"Sort of," Scott replied.

Jackson sat forward, hearing the opportunity to make a challenge. "Is it sort of, or yes?" he asked.

"Yes," Scott replied firmly, meeting the challenge in the blue eyes. But I could only watch as the train wreck continued. "In fact, I'm a great bowler."

After school, I left with Scott and Stiles, silently agreeing with Stiles the entire way, until he mentioned gay best friend. "Hey! Leave Danny out of this!" I ordered, catching Stiles' lacrosse stick. But of course, he was stronger than me, and it just slid from his backpack instead of stopping him. So I whacked him with it as he contemplated whether or not Danny liked him. Meanwhile, Scott was freaking out over the bus guy, his date failure, Jackson's vendetta, and the fact that he was late for work. And I was going to be late too. "Crap," I muttered, running after him.

Derek was walking from the parking lot when I left the school. I realized I'd never sent him the picture as he took my bag. "Did you hear what happened?" I asked. He nodded, and I showed him the picture on my phone. "It gets worse. Scott had a dream last night that he attacked Allison on that very bus, and I guess the damage is the same as he caused to the bus in the dream. Plus this morning, when I found him shifted, he had blood on his hands," I told him.

"I'll look into it. Don't worry too much, okay? Just focus on staying safe," he replied. I nodded and got into the Camaro, but not before I noticed Stiles watching. I shook my head at him and he nodded. He wouldn't tell; he couldn't. Scott couldn't know that I was spending so much time with Derek.

After a quiet shift at the store, I found Derek outside with a takeout bag. "You bought me dinner?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked. "I stopped at your house and grabbed the locket. How about we put the Wolfsbane in it, but you don't have to wear it if you don't want," he told me. I nodded and slid into the Camaro, noticing that Bandit wasn't barking at Derek.

When Derek pulled up to the shed that had survived the fire, I understood that he was hiding the car. The burned out remains of his house now belonged to the county and I realized I hadn't been back here since the fire. I hesitated on the front porch, holding my bag, and touched the door with shaking fingers. "Ami?" Derek reappeared in front of me, having expected me to follow him in. I looked up at him, and he must have seen the answer on my face. He sighed and pulled me into his arms as my tears started to fall again. It was easy to remember my childhood spent in this house, but it was so hard to forget the pain. The ghosts of memories flashed by as Derek half carried me through the house up to what had once been his father's study.

"Are you actually keeping Wolfsbane here?" I asked when I saw the purple plant on the desk.

"Dad used to grow it out of the woods so he could use it to control the pups, remember?" he replied.

I nodded sadly and sat down on the edge of the desk as he passed over the locket. I held it in my palm as I stared at it for a minute, and he waited. Stylized to be a triscalade made of Celtic knots, the silver pendant had been meant to mark me as part of the Hale pack. Using my nail, I flipped it open to reveal two pictures that I hadn't looked at in a long time. On one side, Laura and Cora smiled at me, one an older version of the other. The matching picture was Derek and Alec, the latter a blue-eyed and younger Derek. It took everything I had not to cry as I looked down at the pictures, and Derek took the locket from me with gentle hands.

A single Wolfsbane flower fit in the locket, and then Derek brought the plant back out to the woods. When he came back, he picked me up and dropped me on the air mattress in his old room. I started to get up, but he held me down, and motioned for me to listen. I heard the car engine and my eyes widened. He moved to the broken window, and I heard the police officer's voice. Then the dog barked, and I nearly sighed in relief. Derek lowered his head, and the police canine went absolutely nuts, barking loudly.

The cop took off, but as the car pulled away, I heard footsteps in the leaves. Derek stiffened, and I heard, "I know you can hear me. I need your help." I flopped back onto the mattress, soundlessly groaning when I realized that if Scott knew I was here, he'd kill me and Derek.

"Stay here. Don't come downstairs no matter what you hear," Derek ordered me softly, and I nodded. He went down, and I heard the door close behind him. I thanked my extraordinary hearing once again, because I could hear pretty well.

"Okay, I know I was part of you getting arrested, and that we basically announced you being here to the Hunters, also, I don't know what happened to your sister, but I think I did something last night. I had a dream about someone," this made me giggle, "but someone else got hurt, and it turns out that part of the dream might actually have happened. And I nearly attacked Ami this morning," Scott said.

"You think you attacked the driver," Derek said simply.

"Did you see what I did last night?" Scott demanded.

"No," Derek replied, and I knew he was being honest. He hadn't seen Scott do it. But, I had shown him the picture, so technically, he was lying.

"Can you at least tell me the truth? Am I going to hurt someone?" Scott pleaded.

"Yes," Derek told him. Because that wasn't a slap in the face.

"Could I kill someone?" Scott asked.

"Yes," Derek said. There was the punch in the gut.

"Am I gonna kill someone?" Scott was starting to freak out.

"Probably," Derek's voice still hadn't shown any emotion, and I could picture the look in his eyes as he delivered the kick in the ass to Scott. "Look, I can show you how to remember. I can show you how to control the shift, even on a full moon," Derek went on, "But it's not gonna come for free." At that, my head shot up. Derek knew we had nothing to give him.

"What do you want?" Scott asked. His voice was a lot softer, and I had to strain to hear the words.

"You'll find out," Derek assured him. "But for now, I'm gonna give you what you want. Go back to the bus. Go inside. See it, feel it. Let your senses: sight, smell, touch; let them remember for you."

"That's it; just go back?" Scott asked.

"Do you wanna know what happened?" Derek responded.

"I just want to know if I hurt him," Scott explained.

"No you don't. You want to know if you'll hurt her," Derek told him.

When Derek rejoined me in his room, I asked, "What do you want from us?"

"I want him to do me a favor when I ask for it," he replied, "I want you to stay alive so you can be my sister again."

"Even if it means staying away from you?" I asked, torn.

"I'd rather be able to see you for a few minutes and know you're safe than see you all the time and worry about you being dead the next day," he told me wrapping me in a hug.

I buried my face in his chest, protesting, "I just got you back."

"I know. But I'll still be here. I just won't be able to hang around for long," he assured me.

I sighed and nodded into his jacket, and he stepped back. The takeout bag on the floor caught my eye, and my stomach rumbled. He laughed, a real laugh, and I grinned. I could handle this, especially since he was trying to help. Deciding it was worth it I said, "I'm telling Scott about the Wolfsbane, but I'll wear the locket."


	7. Pack Mentality pt 2

**Author's Note: Don't know if I'll get the chance to post this tomorrow, so I'm posting it now. Hope you guys like Blue Moon so far!**

**Ash B Bramble- I'm glad you like that's it's different. Anything you're curious about, or any scenes you think they need to have? **

Chapter 7-Pack Mentality pt 2

When Derek picked me up after work on Tuesday, I figured out pretty quickly that Scott hadn't made his suspicions known to the older Beta. "You have to tell him about the Alpha. He thinks it's you who attacked the driver!" I exclaimed.

"How do you know it wasn't me?" Derek asked softly.

"Cut the tough guy crap, Derek. I know you. I know the real you," I reminded him. "He needs to know the truth, and I can't tell him. If I tell him, I'll tell him about how it attacked me and showed up at my work, and then he'll never let me out of his sight," I explained.

"He'll confront me eventually. I'll tell him the truth then," my older brother assured me. "I grabbed you dinner. It's in the backseat. I was going to take you out, but they're enforcing a curfew for everyone under eighteen," he told me on another note.

"Yeah, I know. That's why the store closes early now," I sighed, leaning over the back seat to pick up the steak sub.

"I thought you'd like getting out earlier?" he asked.

"Fewer hours mean less money. Less money means I have to ask Mom for more, and she doesn't have it to give me. I pay for my phone, my school lunches, and gas if I ever use the car," I replied.

"Why doesn't she have the money? She has a good job," he mused.

"It's not enough to raise two teenagers," I said sadly. "And Mr. McCall doesn't pay child support. It'd be so much easier on all of us if he did. Scott makes more than me, but he has all his lacrosse stuff to pay for, and he eats way more food than I do. Plus now he's dating Alison, so he's got to pay for her too."

"I'll take care of your dad," he told me, pulling into the gas station.

"He's not my dad. He's Scott's horrible father. My dad was your dad," I hissed. His eyes widened fractionally, but he nodded and got out silently.

I had just opened my sub when the red SUV pulled up in front of the Camaro. The silver one pulled up behind us, trapping the Camaro easily, and I hunched down in the seat. Mr. Argent got out of the red SUV, clearly recognizing me, and I bit my lip to keep from panicking. In the side view mirror, I saw two men standing beside the silver SUV, and Derek putting the cap on the gas tank.

"Nice ride," Mr. Argent said, "black cars though, very hard to keep clean. I would definitely suggest a little more maintenance." Here the Hunter took out the windshield squeegee, saying, "You have something that's nice, you want to take care of it, right?" I watched him curiously and every bit suspiciously as he washed my side of the windshield. I could see tenseness in Derek's shoulders, even if he kept up the mask of indifference. The Hunter was way too close to me for the wolf's liking. "Personally," Argent continued, holding my gaze evenly, "I'm very protective of the things I love. That's something I learned from my family. And you don't have much of that these days."

I narrowed my eyes, but I knew he'd realized that I was important to Derek. Then the hunter straightened and asked, "Do you?" I couldn't see Derek's reaction, but I guessed that he was far angrier than I was. The sound of cracking knuckles told me he'd clenched his fist, and Argent looked down.

"Don't react," I breathed. Argent nodded, and I sighed.

"There we go. You can actually look through your windshield now. See how that makes everything so much clearer?" Allison's father said. He spared me one last glance, and turned away.

But of course Derek had to be a smart ass. "You forgot to check the oil," he called to Argent.

I didn't like the smirk on the older man's face when he turned around and ordered, "Check the man's oil."

The smaller of his two lackeys came up to the driver's window and took what I thought was a hammer to it. I yelped as glass sprayed into the car and turned away, shielding my face. "Looks good to me," the younger hunter said, smirking smugly at me.

Drive safely," Argent told Derek, getting into the red SUV.

Derek waited until they were gone to yank open the passenger side door and pull me out. I could feel blood running down my face and whimpered when Derek touched the wound. "There's a piece of glass in it, hold still," he ordered. I tried to watch as he used his claws to pull the glass out, but I couldn't quite see.

"Do I need stitches?" I asked. He sighed and nodded, flicking the glass off his hand. I helped him clean up his car, using my sweatshirt sleeves to cover my hands, and ended up having to throw away my dinner. The stupid hunter had gotten glass in my sandwich. "I hate hunters," I sighed, and he chuckled.

"Come on, I'll take you to the hospital," he decided.

T o say that my mother wasn't happy to see me in the emergency room was an understatement. "What happened?" she demanded upon seeing Derek walk me in.

"I fell walking home from the store, and cut it on a bottle on the side walk. Derek and I bumped into each other when I went to the bathroom at the gas station to see how bad it was. He offered to drive me to the hospital," I told her. Unfortunately, she believed me since I didn't have the greatest track record when it came to things like falling. You would think as a dancer I'd be a little less clumsy, but no.

After I got this weird glue type stuff on my forehead instead of stitches, I went in search of Derek, telling my mom I was going to grab food at the cafeteria. Instead I ended up in the bus driver's room, holding Derek's arm as he spoke to the old man. "Open your eyes," Derek ordered. On the second try, the man complied. "Look at me." The poor guy lifted his head, and Derek asked, "What do you remember?"

"Hale," the man wheezed.

I looked up at Derek, surprised, and he asked, "How do you know my name?"

"I'm sorry," the man replied.

"How do you know me?" Derek demanded.

"Derek, easy," I murmured.

"McCall," the driver recognized me, and I tried to offer him a smile. "I'm sorry," he repeated, laying his head back down.

"Derek, come on. He's not going to tell you anything. Let's go before someone finds us," I pulled on the arm I held, but I couldn't even wrap both hands all the way around his bicep. He snarled furiously, and the man gave a wheezy cry. "Oh my god," I gasped as his heart monitor went flat. Derek grabbed me around the waist and we were out of the hospital within seconds.

"You're sleeping at my house tonight," he decided as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"Derek!" I groaned, taking off the locket. I dropped it in my bag and curled up in the seat. "I can't wear this thing. It's making my head hurt," I sighed.

"All the more reason to stay with me," he pointed out. "And I can't let you stay with Scott when the Alpha can control him so easily."

At that, I nodded and gave in. "I'll need clothes for tomorrow," I told him.

"I took some when I got your locket. Figured I'd keep some for emergencies," he told me. I shook my head and prayed they matched.

"Scott's going to know you made the driver die," I realized when we pulled up to the house. He didn't bother hiding the car in the shed, and I figured it was to let Scott know he was home.

"Then he'll confront me all the sooner," Derek shrugged.

"And you'll tell him about the Alpha," I reminded him sharply.

"Yes, Ami," he promised. He left me in peace to change into the sweats he'd taken from my room, and I noticed that they were actually my maroon Beacon Hills ones, not Danny's or Scott's or even Jackson's. I found that he'd grabbed me a black short sleeve shirt and a blue plaid shirt along with a pair of black jeans and my black boots. Three pairs of socks and my leather jacket were in the bag too. I left my socks on, since the floor was cold, and flopped down on the air mattress with my sweatshirt over my tank top.

I felt his eyes on my back and rolled over to see him watching me from the doorway. There was a sad smile on his face, and I offered him one in return. Then the front door opened, and Scott yelled, "Derek, I know you're here! I know what you did!"

I pulled my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my knees as Derek motioned for me to stay. "I didn't do anything," the older Beta told Scott. I really didn't like the sound of his voice, but I figured it was to make Scott angry.

"You killed him!" my adoptive brother accused, starting up the stairs.

"He died," the older wolf corrected.

"Like your sister died?" Scott demanded. I flinched, and Derek's eyes flicked back to me. I shook my head and motioned towards the stairs.

"My sister was missing," my foster brother's voice threatened to turn into a snarl as he replied. "I came here looking for her."

"You found her," Scott pressed.

"I found her in pieces," Derek cried. I flinched again, having actually found Laura in pieces. "Being used as bait to catch me."

"I think you killed them both," Scott told Derek, "I'm gonna tell everyone, starting with the Sheriff." Then Scott reached the top of the stairs, and Derek stepped out of the doorway, throwing the younger wolf down the stairs. I heard Scott hit the floor, and then he snarled, signaling that he'd shifted. Crawling to the doorway, I watched Derek leap off the stairs and heard the floorboards crack when he landed.

Then somebody went flying through the wall below me, and I peaked around the corner to see that it had been Derek. "That was cute," the born wolf said. Then I heard a much more familiar snarl, and knew Derek had shifted. Derek roared, and Scott walked through the hole Derek had made in the wall. I noticed the way he moved and realized that the teen was such an awkward wolf. Derek snarled again, and Scott responded, and I crawled back into the bedroom. If Scott caught sight or scent of me now, I'd be screwed.

I listened with my ear to the floor as a person was slammed into the wall twice, then thrown across the room, falling over something. Blows were traded, and somebody hit the floor. Derek roared again, and I heard who I guessed was Scott hit the wall once more. I stopped trying to guess what was happening and just listened as they fought. I knew perfectly well that Scott didn't stand a chance against Derek. There were more slams and blows and snarls and finally the sound of claws meeting flesh.

I heard gasps that sounded far more human than wolf and realized Derek had shocked Scott into shifting back through pain. "I didn't kill him," Derek insisted, "neither of us did." I sighed, relieved, understanding that Derek was telling Scott about the Alpha. I got to my feet and moved to the top of the stairs, trying not to make any noise. "It's not your fault, and it's not mine," the man continued.

"This? This is all your fault!" the sixteen year old shouted. "You ruined my life!"

"No, I didn't," Derek replied.

"You're the one who bit me," Scott accused.

"No, I'm not," the born wolf informed him.

"What?" the bitten wolf demanded.

"I'm not the one that bit you. I'm the one who found Ami after you left her there, in the woods, alone," the twenty-two year old snapped.

"There's another," Scott realized.

"It's called an Alpha. It's the most dangerous of our kind. You and I, we're Betas. This thing is more powerful, more animal than either of us. My sister came here looking for him. And now I'm trying to find him, but I don't think I can do it without you," Derek explained.

"Why me?" the younger wolf asked.

"Because he's the one that bit you. You're part of his pack. It's you, Scott. You're the one he wants," my older brother dropped the final bomb, and Scott sat for a moment. Then he bolted, not even noticing me at the top of the stairs.

Derek climbed the stairs slowly, and I waited for him at the top. "Well, that went well," I sighed.

"Come on, let's get some sleep," he said, taking me by the arm. I curled up in a ball on the edge of the mattress, and he curled up around me, pulling me closer. "Just like when you were afraid of the monsters under your bed," he teased softly.

"Yeah, if by monsters you mean Alec," I retorted. He chuckled tiredly, and I soon fell asleep with my head on his arm. His forehead rested against my shoulder, and it was his deep breathing and eventual soft snores that lulled me to sleep.

**Author's Note: I know, so OC Derek, but everything is about to change, and Ami hadn't really spent any time with him after learning about Laura, so this kind of came out of nowhere. I hope you like it!**


	8. Magic Bullet

**Author's Note: just a mild warning, but I really don't like Kate, so Ami doesn't either. There may be a bit of language in these next few chapters. Also, thanks to all my awesome reviewers!**

**Marine 76-Glad you like it!**

**Ash B Bramble-Yes, but probably not until the beginning of season 2**

**Psychotic Smartypants- don't worry, I will!**

Chapter 8-Magic Bullet

It was the gun shot that woke me and made me realize Derek was gone. I found a note in his vacated spot, and read it aloud in the moonlight. "Something's up. Went out to find it. If not back for school, take the Camaro. Go straight to work after school," I read. Sighing, I dropped the note on the floor and curled up in what remained of Derek's warm spot.

Then I heard the howl, and shot up with a cry. It was the Alpha, and he was angry. And I was alone. "Oh my god, Derek, Scott come home, now," I whispered, realizing the two Betas had gone Alpha hunting. I sat up by the window waiting until my phone alarm went off in my bag. I was going to kill Derek for leaving me behind. I was not some damsel from the fairytales content to sit and wait at home for her knight in shining armor to arrive. If my brothers were out hunting, I wanted to be out hunting too.

I got dressed reluctantly, having showered at Scott's the night before, and was using the big mirror I'd brought up from the living room to do my hair when the front door opened. "Ami, bring the first aid kit," Derek called up the stairs. My heart skipped a beat at the pain in his voice, and I dove for my duffel bag. Pulling the black box from the bottom of my bag, I ran down the stairs to find him laying towels out over the table in the living room. But I noticed that his left arm was cradled against his side.

"What happened? I heard the gun shot," I said.

"Did you hear the shotgun or the rifle?" he asked, spreading out the last towel.

My eyes went wide and I thought about it. "Shotgun," I remembered.

"She was shooting at the Alpha. Then she got me with her rifle," he groaned.

"You moron. You went after the Alpha, and he led you straight into the Hunter," I snapped, opening the newly assembled first aid kit. Derek had made me put it together after our little incident with Argent. But I think we'd both assumed that we'd need it for me.

Derek rolled up his sleeve and I took a sharp breath. "I need you to get the bullet out," he told me. I moved closer, inspecting the bruise colored bullet wound. The skin immediately around the wound was discolored, and I really didn't like the idea of digging around in his arm for the bullet. "I won't be able to heal with the bullet in the way," he explained, seeing the color drain from my face.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, I'll do it," I decided, rolling up the sleeves of my red button down shirt. I kicked off the matching red pumps I was wearing and dropped to my now bare feet a good three inches lower than I had been. I took the tweezers from the black box and hesitated over his arm.

"Do it, Ami. Don't think about it," he ordered. I nodded, took a deep breath, and eased the tweezers into the wound. I swallowed at the sound and feeling moving flesh made, and forced myself to dig for the bullet. Next to me, Derek snarled, his other hand clawing at the top of the table.

"Shhh, Derek, it's okay. Just hold on," I soothed, hating the amount of pain I was putting him through. "I'm almost done, I've got the bullet," I assured the agonized wolf. And then, of course, things had to get complicated. The bullet stuck, and I wasn't getting it free without ripping Derek's flesh. "Damn hunter. Derek, it's stuck. I think the bullet was that kind that curls into barbs to cause more damage. I can't get it out without hurting you," I explained.

"Ami. Just. Rip. It. Out," Derek ordered in his scary voice. I swallowed, nodding, and yanked. The bullet tore free and Derek howled in pain. He snapped at me, his eyes flashing blue as I ducked. I backed away, letting him calm down while I took out the alcohol disinfectant thing he'd given me. Laying out the roll of bandages, I found a few pieces of gauze and approached cautiously. Derek was panting, his shoulders heaving, but I took his wrist gently. He let me stretch his arm out and carefully start to clean the wound with the disinfectant. My lip curled up in a grimace at the smell, and I knew it stung. A gauze pad went over the wound, and I taped it down before wrapping the stark white bandage around his arm.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked as he moved away.

"Go to school, Ami. Take the Camaro," he replied heavily, heading up the stairs. I followed, watching him fall onto the mattress as I picked up my bag. The keys were in his jacket pocket. Downstairs, I put my shoes back on, pulling on my tan and white jacket as I did. I left with one last glance to the bedroom window, and then drove off.

School was absolute torture. I was too worried about Derek to pay attention to any of my classes. The feeling in my stomach just got worse and worse, and I honestly didn't know how I made it through the day without snapping at anyone, not even Harris. Then I had to wait, bouncing impatiently, for Jackson to cram his stuff into our locker before I could get my homework and rush back to Derek. I finally leaned back against the lockers, waiting, hidden behind the locker door and Jackson's size difference over me.

"Where's Scott McCall?" Derek's voice asked.

Jackson shut the door, revealing that Derek really was there, and I gasped. He looked so much worse than he had this morning. "Why should I tell you?" Jackson replied, and I hit him.

"Because I asked you politely and I only do that once," Derek responded. Though he looked like the walking dead, he managed to make the threat sound very real.

"Okay, tough guy," Jackson sneered. "How about I help you find him if you tell me what you're selling him. What is it? Is it, uh, die-in-a-ball? HGH?

"Scott's not on drugs and Derek isn't a dealer!" I snapped, punching him as hard as I could in the side before slipping under Derek's arm.

"Steroids?" Derek asked. I looked up at him, knowing that tone well. I needed to get him out of here before he really hurt Jackson. Derek scoffed and I started to lead him away.

"No, girl scout cookies," Jackson stepped into Derek's path, completely ignoring me. "What the hell do you think I'm talking about?" the blonde demanded. "By the way, whatever it is you're selling, I probably stop sampling the merchandise," he added with transparent concern. "You look wrecked."

"Yeah, Whittemore, because he's sick. That's why we need to find Scott," I snapped. Derek looked down to his hand, and I saw something fall out of the corner of my eye. When I looked, I realized it was blood, and there was something very, very wrong.

"I'll find him myself," Derek decided, pushing passed Jackson. He took me with him, propelling me forward.

"No, we're not done here," Jackson snapped, grabbing Derek's shoulder. Derek whirled, knocking me to the floor before I even saw him move. He knocked Jackson's arm away and pinned him to the lockers by the back of his neck.

"Derek, don't," I protested too late. Derek ripped his hand off Jackson's neck, and I felt my eyes widen at the sight of the bloody claws. Derek grabbed me, lifting me up by one arm, and pulled me against him as he fell into the wall. I looked up at his face and realized he was listening to someone. Then the bell rang, and he jumped. I winced, since we were standing right under it.

"Scott's going to Allison's after school," he told me. I swore softly and let him lean on me when he started walking again. "Get me to the parking lot," he requested.

We were at the edge of the lot when I saw Stiles' Jeep approaching and told Derek. He broke away from me, and before I could stop him, stepped out in front of Stiles. The blue Jeep slammed on the brakes, and I rushed forward as Derek collapsed. "What the hell?" Scott asked Stiles as he ran over. "What are you doing here?" my "twin" brother demanded, kneeling beside Derek's legs.

"I was shot," Derek explained.

"He's not looking so good, dude," Stiles realized.

"He's getting worse," I said, holding Derek up from behind.

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asked, frantic.

"I can't," Derek replied, "It was a different kind of bullet." At this, he looked over his shoulder at me, and I understood.

"A silver bullet?" Stiles exclaimed.

"No, you idiot," Derek snapped.

"Wait, wait; that's what she meant when she said you only had forty-eight hours," Scott realized.

"What? Who said forty-eight hours?" Derek demanded.

"The woman who shot you," Scott told him. Derek tensed, and it must have been a mistake, because his back arched as his head went up. I could feel the quick presence of his wolf, and guessed his eyes had shifted. Scott looked around frantically as horns beeped behind Stiles, and he gasped, "What are you doing? Stop that!"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! I can't!" Derek's voice was rougher, and I knew he was losing control of the shift. I murmured to him, trying to soothe him enough to control the shift as his shoulders heaved.

"Derek, get up," Scott ordered. Derek tried, but I couldn't lift him, especially not while wearing three inch stilettos. "Help me get him in your car," Scott ordered Stiles. The skinny teen yanked open the Jeep door as Scott lifted Derek with ease.

Scott leaned on the door as the wounded wolf said, "I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Scott demanded, appalled.

"She's an Argent, she's with them," Derek assured him.

"Why should I help you?" my legal brother protested, but I wasn't close enough to slap him upside the head. In fact, I was backing towards the Camaro.

"Because you need me," Derek reminded him.

"Fine, I'll try," Scott said as Stiles climbed into the driver's seat. "Get him out of here," he ordered Stiles.

"I hate you for this some much," Stiles replied, but he started the Jeep and sped off.

I hurried for Derek's car as fast as my three inch heels would let me and felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I pulled it out as I slid into the car to see that it was Stiles calling. "What?" I answered, hitting speaker phone so I could drive.

"Go to the house, Ami. Clear out our stuff. If the hunters know I'm wounded, that's the first place they'll look," Derek told me.

"Alone?" I realized.

"Take off those ridiculous shoes and make it quick," he ordered.

"Ami, what's his last resort?" Stiles called.

I felt the color drain from my face and screamed, "Derek don't! Stiles don't let him, no matter what he threatens to do!"

Then I heard them fighting over the phone, a growl, and Derek said, "Be careful, Ami," before the phone went dead.

If my mom had seen the way I was driving, she would have died of a heart attack. But Derek would have been proud. All the Hales would have been. I drove like one of them to reach the Hale house. Yanking my heels off, I ran up to the bedroom first, grabbing the two duffel bags Derek insisted stay neat for times like this. I threw them in the backseat before running back in to grab the first aid kit from the living room. The blood-stained towels were gone from the table, but I still raced around the house to make sure I hadn't left something somewhere.

I called Stiles when I was done and found them parked on the side of the road easily enough. Stiles stuck his head out the window and called, "Go to the clinic! Let us in the front door!" I waved, acknowledging that I'd heard, and sped up. The Jeep pulled onto the road behind me, but it was old, and Stiles couldn't push it to keep up with me. When they pulled into the clinic, I'd already hidden the Camaro out back and gone in with the spare key. Stiles helped Derek in, the wolf trying to take his shirt off, and I realized he was burning from the inside.

I stopped Derek just long enough to get the shirt off him, and saw the triscalade tattooed on his back. Then he set his arm down on the table, and I gasped. Black veins throbbed up and down his whole arm, the bullet wound itself a disgusting, infected mess of red blood and flesh. Blood ran down his arm, and I had to step back. "You know that really doesn't look like anything some Echinacea and a good night's sleep couldn't take care of," Stiles babbled, completely grossed out.

"This isn't a cold, Stiles!" I snapped, moving to Derek's side.

"If the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me," Derek told me, meeting my terrified blue eyes as he turned towards the instrument draws.

"Positivity just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?" Stiles observed sarcastically.

"He doesn't get here with the bullet in time, last resort," Derek added to me as he opened the medicine drawer.

"Scott will be here on time, Derek," I assured him, but I knew he could hear the pleading in my voice.

"Which is?" Stiles prompted.

Derek held up the saw, and I stepped back, swallowing. He turned to Stiles and said, "You're gonna cut off my arm." Stiles paled, and I tried to take the saw from Derek. But he placed it on the table and paced it to Stiles.

The idiot held it up, and looked like he might be sick. He pressed the switch, and the saw buzzed to life. "Oh my god," Stiles gasped, dropping the tool onto the table. Derek tied a blue elastic band around his bicep to act as a tourniquet, and Stiles tried to reason with him. "What if you bleed to death?"

"It'll heal if it works," Derek said around the elastic in his teeth

"That's a pretty big if," I murmured.

"Look, I don't know if I can do this," Stiles said, his gaze locked on Derek's arm.

"Why not?" Derek demanded, still trying to tie the elastic. But I didn't move to help him, trying to delay as long as I could for Scott.

"Well, because, the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of bone, and especially the blood!" Stiles retorted.

Derek clenched his jaw and challenged, "What, you faint at the sight of blood?"

"I will," I whispered.

"No, but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm," Scott's best friend replied. Though I was gagging, I had to give him credit. He was remarkably good at standing up to Derek.

Derek sighed, shaking his head, and said, "Alright fine, how about this? You cut off my arm, or I'm gonna cut off your head."

"Okay, you know, I'm so not buying your threats anymore," Stiles replied. Derek reached out across the table, grabbed Stiles' shirt front, and pulled the younger boy forward. "Oh my god, okay, alright, sold, totally, I'll do it," Stiles submitted instantly. Then Derek heaved, twice, and Stiles asked, "What? What are you doing?"

Derek leaned over the side of the table and vomited. Black liquid-Derek's infected blood-splattered onto the floor and I jerked back with a yelp. My bare feet and probably the lower part of my black jeans were covered in black splotches, and I gasped, thoroughly horrified. "Holy god, what the hell is that?" Stiles gagged.

"It's my body. It's trying to heal itself," Derek explained, spitting into the puddle.

"Well, it's not doing a very good job of it," Stiles said, sounding like he was seconds away from losing his own lunch. I had to swallow several times when the smell hit me, and I immediately started searching the cabinet for bleach or cleaning disinfectant. I was going to puke too if that stayed on the floor.

"Now, you gotta do it now," Derek breathed, resting his head on the end of the table. Instantly, I turned from the cabinet, bleach in hand and forgotten, biting my lip to keep from whimpering.

"Look, honestly, I don't think I can," Stiles told him.

"Just do it!" Derek roared. Now I could hear the fear in his voice, and I couldn't stop the whimper of distress.

"Oh my god, okay, okay," the skinny teen grabbed the saw and turned it on, placing it on Derek's arm.

"Oh my god," I squeaked, picking up Derek's shirt to hide my face.

"Oh god, alright, here we go," Stiles said, and I cried out.

"Stiles?" Scott's voice could not have sounded any sweeter than it did in that moment. I gasped, dropping Derek's shirt, and sank to the floor.

"Scott?" Stiles asked completely dumbfounded by the timing.

"What the hell are you doing?" Scott cried, rounding the corner.

Stiles breathed out a kind of ragged, relieved laugh, dropping the saw, and said, "Oh you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares."

"Did you get it?" Derek asked weakly from the table. Scott pulled the bullet from his pocket, handing it over to the pale, sweaty, and still dying wolf. Said wolf held it up under the light, blinking like he was disoriented.

Scott lifted me up to my feet, taking in the black stains as Stiles asked, "What are you gonna do with it?"

"I'm gonna…I'm gonna," Derek started, his voice weak, and he swayed on his feet. His hand dropped to the table, the bullet bouncing off the floor before it rolled under a side table and into a drain.

"Shit!" I gasped, diving behind Derek as he fell backwards, unconscious. I caught his head in my lap before it hit the concrete floor as Scott dove after the bullet.

Stiles scrambled around the table to kneel over Derek, slapping his face a couple of times. As he called Derek's name, he ordered the wolf to wake up. "Scott, what the hell are we gonna do?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Scott cried, stretching to reach into the grate. "I can't reach it," he realized.

"He's not waking up," Stiles reported, on the verge of panic. "I think he's dying, I think he's dead," Stiles gasped.

"Just hold on!" Scott snapped.

"Keep trying!" I ordered, slapping Stiles' hands away from Derek. I pressed two fingers to his throat, and found a butterfly pulse. It was faint, and rapid, but it was there. "He's alive! Stiles, hit him, hard! We have to shock him awake," I realized.

"I got it!" Scott cried, scrambling to his feet.

"Please don't kill me for this," Stiles pleaded, punching Derek across the face. The wolf jerked awake as Stiles reeled back, gasping, "Ow!" He was shaking out his hand, holding it, and I winced.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Did you?" Derek asked Scott, taking the offered bullet. The younger Beta lifted Derek, ordering me to help, and I pushed Derek upright as I stood. Derek leaned over the table, biting the bullet free from the casing and gun powder. He spit it onto the table as he dropped the casing, and whacked it against the table top.

Silvery powder fell from the bullet, and I jerked back. "Wolfsbane," I realized. Derek nodded, pulling the lighter from his pocket, and lit the powder on fire. It flared up, crackling as it gave off sparks like Fourth of July sparklers. The boys leaned back, away from the heat I could feel even with Derek standing mostly in front of me. Then Derek swept the powder into his palm, and looked at the wound. "Oh no," I realized, stepping towards Stiles as he made up his mind.

Slamming his hand with the powder over the wound, Derek pressed the powdered Wolfsbane into the bullet hole. Blue smoke rose from his arm as he roared, in a human voice, in agony. He doubled over, shoving me away from him as he went down on his back with an extremely deep yell of pain. I covered my mouth with my hands, fighting the urge to go to him or just simply faint as I watched him arc up away from the floor with a yell.

He sat up enough to look at the wound, and I knew I'd never seen a look of such intense pain on his face. As he actually screamed in pain, he roared, this time as a wolf. Then I watched in horrified awe as the black veins retreated and the hole sewed itself shut. Blue smoke rose from the wound as it scarred and then vanished all together.

"That was awesome! Yes!" Stiles cheered. Scott turned to look at him with such an incredulous look that I didn't even bother hitting Stiles for his stupidity. Instead I helped Derek sit up, moving to kneel beside him. He rested his forehead against my shoulder, and I flinched at the heat still coming off his body.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked.

"Well except for the agonizing pain," Derek nodded, getting up.

"Guess the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health," Stiles declared. Derek glared at him, and I reached for the elastic.

"Okay, we saved your life, which means you're gonna leave us alone," Scott told him. I whipped around, stunned. "You got that?" Scott asked, ignoring me entirely. "And if you don't, I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad, and I'm gonna tell him everything."

"You're gonna trust them?" Derek interrupted. "You think they can help you?"

"Well why not? They're a lot freaking nicer than you are!" Scott replied.

"No, Scott, they really aren't," I sighed.

"I can show you exactly how nice they are," Derek told him, and I turned my back on the teen boys. I looked up at the wolf before me, and he met my eyes. His glare softened a bit, and he nodded to me.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"First we clean up in here," the older wolf decided. I nodded, picking up the bleach only to have it taken from my hands. "Go clean your feet off," Derek murmured in my ear, and I saw that Scott and Stiles were already wetting down paper towels. But the infected blood wasn't so easily removed. I sat on the toilet in the ladies' room for twenty minutes, scrubbing away at my feet before it all came off. When I touched the bottoms of my jeans, I found they too were stained, so I rolled up the hem to hide the marks.

Derek was waiting outside the bathroom, wearing his shirt and jacket, Scott sitting in a chair behind him. Stiles was gone, and I let Derek carry me out back to the Camaro without protest. I climbed into the backseat, moving the duffel bags so I could slip in. Scott got into the passenger seat, and I thought something clicked when Derek handed me my shoes and bag. "You drove his car?" Scott gasped, turning to face me when I handed over the keys.

"Just from school to the clinic," I lied, "You made Stiles take Derek." He nodded, satisfied, and within a few minutes, we'd pulled up to one of my least favorite places in the world.

Derek let me out of the car as Scott asked, "What are we doing here?" But neither Derek nor I answered. The older wolf strode angrily through the long term care home until we reached the right room, and I waited inside the doorway as Derek moved to stand over the wheelchair bound man. "Who is he?" Scott asked.

"My uncle, Peter Hale," Derek replied calmly.

"Is he…like you, a werewolf?" my adoptive brother asked.

"He was," My older brother replied, "Now he's barely even human. Six years ago, my sister and I were at school. Our house caught fire. Eleven people were trapped inside. He was the only survivor."

"So, what makes you so sure that they set the fire?" the smaller wolf pushed.

"Because they were the only ones who knew about us," the taller young man explained.

"They had a reason," Scott told him.

Derek's eyes narrowed and he asked, "Like what? You tell me what justifies this." He grabbed Uncle Peter's wheelchair and turned him, revealing the burned half of his face. I knew by the lines in Scott's shoulders and back that he really hadn't been expecting that. "They say they'll only kill an adult, and only with absolute proof. But there were people in my family that were perfectly ordinary in that fire," Derek told him. "This is what they do. And it's what Allison will do," he added as the final blow.

"What are you doing here?" a young female nurse asked, "How did you even get in here?"

Derek spoke, assuring her, "We were just leaving." He pulled Scott's arm, bringing my brother after us as he put a hand on my shoulder.

Derek drove us home, and once Scott disappeared into the house, I turned to him. "Are you really okay?" I asked, taking my shoes off again.

"I'm fine, Ami. Look, sleep here for a few nights, okay? It'll be safer until we figure out the hunters," he replied. I nodded, but left him with my duffel bag. He kissed my forehead before getting back in the car and speeding away, his tail lights eventually being swallowed by the darkness.


	9. The Tell

**Author's Note: Since this story focuses mainly on Ami and Derek instead of Scott and the gang, I'm not going to incorporate Ami into scenes she really has no place in.**

**Thanks to pixie VAMP 393 for listing Blue Moon in her community!**

Chapter 9-The Tell

"I thought you were getting the movie after you brought me home, Lydia," I told the strawberry blonde from the backseat of her bug. Sometimes I didn't mind being small, but other times, like when I had to give up the front seat to Jackson because I actually fit in the backseat, really annoyed me. Jackson glared at me for interrupting him as he tried to convince Lydia to get a sports movie, but I scoffed at him. He was going to end up watching the Notebook again no matter what he said.

And when we pulled up to the movie store, Jackson lost, just to a look. I snickered and decided to come in and look around as he rented the movie. "Hey, jackass, let me out," I snapped at him when he went to shut the door on me. Grumbling, the blonde complied, putting me in a headlock when I climbed out. In one single self defense move I'd known my whole life, I was free and Jackson was rubbing his wrist.

"Now I remember why I didn't do that to you," he complained, opening the door for me. I threw him a smug smile over my shoulder before heading for the section where my favorite action movies were kept. "Can somebody help me find the Notebook?" Jackson asked begrudgingly. The phone was ringing, and I looked up when no one replied. "Hello? Is anybody working here?" Jackson called, clearly annoyed.

I moved back to his side, starting to get a little worried, and the flickering light caught my attention. Then I noticed the pair of feet sticking out from one aisle. I tugged on the sleeve of Jackson's leather jacket and pointed, feeling myself start to pale. I gripped his arm as we crept down the aisle. When I saw the slit throat of the man lying on the floor, I felt the last of my color drain away, and Jackson took a step back. "Oh my god," he murmured, his hand coming up to turn me away. We stumbled backwards and Jackson fell against the ladder, knocking it over. I yelped as he shoved me down, and the light fell to the floor.

We scrambled back to our feet, my hand still clenched around Jackson's arm as all the lights flickered. Then I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up and the feeling in the pit of my stomach doubled in strength. The little voice in my head that had gone away came back, screaming triumphantly, and I whirled around with a gasp. Jackson turned slowly, and we both stared at the red eyed monster crouched on the floor.

And I did the only thing I could think to do; I screamed at the top of my lungs. Later I would have to thank Coach Flintstock for pushing Jackson so hard, because Jackson had awesome reflex time. He dove behind a shelving unit, dragging me with him, and I covered my hand with my mouth to keep from sobbing.

Today was supposed to be relaxing! I had gone shopping with Lydia, a bored Jackson tagging along, ran into Danny and Kyle at the coffee shop, and not thought about the supernatural all day. And now the Alpha was here, and I was with Jackson of all people.

And we'd walked in on a kill.

Jackson leaned around the edge of the unit, looking for the monster, and I heard it growl as it leaped from one aisle to another. Next to me, the blonde jerked back, breathing heavily, and I knew he was just as terrified as I was. But he was trying to hide it for my sake. I heard another unit rattle as the Alpha hit it, and DVDs fell around us. Then I heard tons of DVDs falling, and a thud, followed by a similar sequence, and I shoved Jackson out into the main aisle, diving after him.

But I hadn't moved fast enough, because the shelves landed on Jackson's legs and my back, pinning us easily. Jackson fought to pull himself free, but to no avail, as I struggled just to breathe. Heavy pants alerted me as the Alpha stalked over, leaning over the two of us. It stared at me as it reached down to Jackson's neck with a huge clawed hand. I didn't see what it did after that as I turned my face into the carpet, and flinched when I heard the Alpha roar. Then it was leaping away, and I heard glass shatter as it leaped out the front window.

Right where Lydia was parked, completely oblivious. Through the now empty window, I heard Lydia scream from inside the car, and Jackson started struggling again. "Your phone is in your back pocket, right?" I asked, my voice a faint wheeze.

"Yeah," Jackson managed to reply.

"Call 9-1-1," I breathed. "Tell them the clerk's dead and we're trapped," I sighed, trying to take a deep breath. But I couldn't because the shelf was sitting right on the back of my diaphragm.

When the police and the ambulance showed up, the police were quick to respond to Jackson's yell of, "We're over here! Get us out, she can't breathe!" They lifted the shelves up, freeing Jackson so he could pull free. Then he turned around and yanked me out, and I gasped for a breath. Then I started coughing, doubling over as my lungs re-expanded. The paramedics lead us outside, where one put me in an oxygen mask and sat me on the back of the ambulance. Lydia was already sitting there, pale and rattled, and she took my hand as I sat. Jackson stood in front of us as the EMTs asked him questions, checked his eyes, and took his pulse.

When Sheriff Stilinski pulled up, I saw Stiles sitting in the front seat and groaned. They'd taken the oxygen mask off, so Lydia heard me clearly, and she rested her head on my shoulder. I zoned out of Jackson arguing with the Sheriff, drained and aching. But I couldn't ignore it when Jackson took out his fear and anger on the Sheriff. "Jackson," I rasped in protest, not lifting my head from my hands.

"Oh, whoa, is that a dead body?" Stiles exclaimed, and I groaned again.

"Look, can I please take them home?" Jackson tried again, but I could hear another voice, deeper and _above me?_ I got up, glancing up at the roof, and met Scott's worried eyes. I shook my head at him, and he got up, probably following Derek.

"Mr. Stilinski, can we please go home? We really are fine," I pleaded. The Sheriff took in my pale face, limp, and mused hair before he nodded with a sigh. Jackson grabbed Lydia from the ambulance, and we were both totally fine with him driving us home.

When I walked into the house, there was a voicemail on the answering machine from Mom. She was frantic, telling me to call the hospital as soon as I got in, and I guessed she'd heard the call about the murder and the fact that I'd been involved. When I called, one of the receptionists I really liked answered, and put me on with Mom instantly. When she heard my voice, Mom nearly broke down in relieved tears. I assured her that besides being sore and tired, I was fine, and really just wanted to take a bath. She told me to put lots of bubbles in it and I smiled tiredly before I told her I would.

I was filling the bathtub when Scott came pounding up the stairs. He found me sitting on the toilet, still dressed and half asleep, and shut the water off. "Come on, how about you just go to bed," he suggested, picking me up. I must have made some sound that he took as agreement, because he laid me on my bed and handed me pajamas. I got to my feet and changed with my eyes closed before turning back to my bed and falling face first onto the mattress. Scott chuckled before he sat down next to me and started playing with my hair.

To say I slept was a lie. I would close my eyes and see the Alpha, or the body, or Laura's face, and jerk awake. The one time I really fell asleep, I woke to the sound of my own scream. Mom and Scott came running to my room from different doors, and squished me between them when they hugged me. I slept badly the rest of the night and when Scott came in that morning, he found me awake, staring out the window. "Mom called you out of school today. Will you be okay by yourself?" he said. I nodded, and waited until he left to open the window.

About the time of the end of first period, I got three texts. The first was Danny, concerned and gentle. He got the truth; I hadn't slept so my mom let me stay home. The second was Stiles, worried about Lydia, not me. He got a sarcastic, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for asking about the one who was actually in the store during the attack. I'm guessing she stayed home too."

The last was Jackson, concerned in his own unique way. 'I'm here, why aren't you?' he asked.

"Sleeping off the fact that I can't walk," I growled as I typed my response.

"So, I'll have to carry you out to the car?" Derek's voice made me jump with a yelp, and I dropped my phone on the floor. With a sigh, I leaned over to pick it up, and felt my shirt ride up, exposing my back. Derek growled, and I looked up to see his eyes latched onto my back.

"What? What are you looking at?" I asked, getting up gingerly as I stuffed my phone in my sweatpants pocket. He waited until I was in front of the mirror to yank my shirt up, revealing the mess of mottled purple bruising. "He didn't hurt me. He didn't even touch me. I didn't react fast enough when he knocked the shelves over," I tried to explain. I remembered from my time as his foster sister that werewolves were extremely territorial, which mean their human selves were possessive and protective.

Even as kids the Hales had been that way. Cora had been so ridiculously protective of me, going after anyone who teased me for being a foster kid. Alec had been possessive, refusing to let anyone else dance with me at our lessons. Laura had been smothering in her affection, but I hadn't minded too much. Derek had been the one who showed the least amount of marking me a Hale. But I guessed that since the fire had taken almost everyone, and now Laura was gone, he wasn't keen on risking losing me either. So I didn't really mind all that much when he forced me into a sweatshirt of his and carried me out of the house.

But I did get confused when we pulled up to school. "I just need to see if Jackson saw anything last night," he explained. I grumbled some sort of response and curled up in the seat as he got out. When I woke up, he was carrying me into the living room of the Hale house. "Just sleep, Ami. I'm here," he assured me, setting me down on the couch.

And I did sleep, without nightmares, until the sound of someone cocking a shotgun woke me up. I'd been exposed to hunters enough as the Hale foster kid to recognize the sound even in my sleep. So when I shot upright to see Derek moving towards me, it only took a second to fling myself over the back of the couch and out a gap in the wall to hide in a hole under the house. And it wasn't a second too soon, because then the door was kicked in.

"No one home," a gravely man's voice observed.

"Oh, he's here," a smug female voice assured. My heart stopped and I felt my eyes go wide. I knew that voice. And as I recognized it, my blood boiled, and I had to bite my lip to keep from making any noise. "He's just not feel particularly hospitable," Kate went on.

"Maybe he's out; burying a bone in the backyard," a stuffy-voiced younger guy suggested.

"Really? A dog joke?" Kate asked. "We're going there, and that's the best you got? If you want to provoke him, say something like too bad your sister bit it before she had her first litter." I breathed calming words, hoping Derek could hear me, but I knew if Kate got him made enough, I wasn't going to stop him. "Too bad she howled like a bitch when we cut her in half!" Kate yelled the last part, and Derek roared furiously.

I snarled softly, perfectly willing to let him hurt them after the bitch's last remark. Derek lunged, and I heard his boot meet a body. The younger guy yelled, then hit the wall and fell to the floor, silent, in the hallway. Derek let out two odd noises that Alec had called barks, and then I heard the other guy hit the floor in the sitting room. Derek let out the short snarls again, and then somebody hit the floor. But I'd heard the tazer.

"Wow, this one grew up in all the right places," Kate observed. "I don't know whether to kill it or lick it." At this, I felt my own lips curl back in a disgusted snarl. The tazer sounded a couple of times, and I cringed as far into the alcove as I could. Derek was trying to drag himself across the floor, and Kate was playing with him. Then Kate laughed, and the tazer sizzled as it connected with flesh. Derek roared, hitting the ground again.

Now Kate really laughed and said, "900,000 volts." My eyes widened, and I knew Derek was incapable of fighting back for another minute. "You never were good with electricity, were you, or fire? Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. And well, maybe we can help each other out. Yes, your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try to catch you. Unpleasant, and frankly, a little too Texas Chainsaw Massacre for my taste, but quite true. Now, here's the part that might really kick you in your balls. We didn't kill her," she said to Derek.

Derek must have given her his look, because she said, "You think I'm lying?"

"Would it be the first time?" Derek replied quietly.

"Sweetie, well, you don't you just listen to my heart, and tell me if I am, okay?" she suggested. Derek was silent, which meant he knew she could kill him easily. Then Kate spoke slowly, saying, "We didn't kill your sister." Then she spoke normally, if quietly, continuing, "You hear that? There's no blips or upticks, just the steady beat of the cold hard truth." And I knew it was true, because Derek hadn't reacted.

"We found bite marks on your sister's body, Derek. What do you think did that? A mountain lion?" she sneered, speaking loudly enough that I didn't have to strain to hear her. "Why aren't we helping each other out? You might as well admit what you've been guessing all along, which is; the Alpha killed your sister. And all you have to do is tell us who he is and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved, everybody goes home happy," she continued. I felt like my heart was currently sitting in my shoes, because not only had Laura been killed not by hunters, who I could hate, but by an Alpha I couldn't find, but Derek didn't know who was the Alpha now. Which meant he couldn't give Kate the information she wanted.

There was a pause, and I tensed, not liking Kate's tone when she spoke next. "Unless you don't know who he is either," she realized. Moving as quietly as I could, I slid out of my hiding place and crept across the yard into the trees. I didn't hear what Kate said after that, but I heard her open fire, and ducked behind the biggest tree near me. Then Derek fled out the front door, leaping off the porch. He ran towards me and stopped once he reached my side, his arm coming around my shoulders as he looked back towards the house. As he pulled me into his side I could feel his heart pounding. He tensed up, the way he did when he got angry, and I knew the hunters were going to be an even bigger problem now.

"Can you drop me off at school? My mom's there for parent-teacher conferences," I sighed as I climbed onto his back.

"Sure," he murmured, turning his head to nuzzle my cheek. "You're okay?" he asked. I nodded into his shoulder, snuggling into the warmth that always came off him. Scott was developing the same warmth, and I knew it would start drawing people to him, seeking natural comfort.

"Just tired, and sore," I assured him as he started walking.

"Well, stay awake for a minute. When the Alpha attacked you last night, why did you scream? You don't normally show fear like that," he said.

"Alec and Cora used to say that no matter where I was, if I was in trouble, all I would have to do is scream. They said they'd always hear me. I was kind of hoping that rule applied to you too," I explained softly.

"It always has, and it always will," he promised. After that, he fell silent, and sped up. When we got to the edge of the school grounds, I peeled off his sweatshirt so he didn't have to be half-naked. He pulled it on, and I reached up when his head popped out. He bowed, allowing me to fix his hair, before he kissed my temple and vanished back into the woods.

I found my mom just as she was leaving Mr. Harris's room. "Mom?" I called, catching her attention.

She whirled around, and hurried over, asking, "What are you doing here? I thought you were at home."

"I was. But after school Derek came and got me since I didn't want to be alone anymore. He dropped me off here on his way to the grocery store," I explained, making up the lie off the top of my head. I was counting on her not asking who Derek was. She nodded, and I leaned into Mr. Harris's room. "Mr. Harris?" I asked, making him look up.

"Ms. McCall," he acknowledged me.

"I just wanted to let you know I emailed you my lab report. I don't know how well I'll be able to walk for a little while," I told him.

"You aren't going to miss anything you haven't asked for in advance, so take your time and get better," he assured me, nodding.

"Thank you, sir," I murmured, stepping back out into the hall. I let Mom help me towards the doors to the parking lot, but I saw her checking her phone every other minute. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Your brother isn't answering his phone, and he's failing chemistry and apparently skipped school today," she replied. I shook my head at my brother's idiocy, limping along tiredly.

Outside, Mom had me point out Allison's parents, and she left me by the car to talk to them. Mr. Argent seemed pretty mad before Allison and Scott pulled up and got out of Allison's car. Mom confronted them before Mr. and Mrs. Argent joined them.

Then, just as I thought my day was over, my blood ran cold as I heard raspy laughter from the shadows. Then the tawny shape sprang up over the hood of the car, and I screamed, falling onto my already bruised back. Chaos ensued in the parking lot around me, and I slowing regained my feet, my nails digging into my palms to refocus my pain. I stood by the car, unable to go anywhere else, listening to the growls and screams, and heard my brother cry, "Allison!"

I crouched by the back end of the car, and saw the Sheriff coming towards me, only for him to get hit by a car backing up. "Mr. Stilinski!" I cried, trying to move towards him. He warned me off with a raised hand, and pulled his back up pistol from his ankle holster. Then a shot rang out, followed by a howl of enraged pain and a second shot. I stood, wincing, as Mr. Argent lowered the silver gun, but unlike everyone else, I went to Mr. Stilinski instead of the mountain lion. I helped him up, slowly, and looked up to see Derek crouched by the rear end of my mom's car.

Making sure Mr. Stilinski was able to stand on his own; I limped to the werewolf, my hands shaking. He pulled me into his arms and I whispered, "The Alpha was here. He was waiting for me."

"You're wearing this whether it means I suffer around you or not. I'm not losing you to him like Laura," he replied, pressing a kiss to my hair before he disappeared into the shadows. And I found the triscalade locket in my hand, smelling of Wolfsbane.


	10. Heart Monitor

**Author's Note: Thanks to flowering birdies, Marine 76, and Ash B Bramble for reviewing chapter 9! Just a heads up, this chapter is long…**

Chapter 10-Heart Monitor

The quietness of the parking garage was getting to me as I followed Scott out onto the third floor. He was easily, if awkwardly, carrying a majority of the grocery bags, leaving me to carry the bread bag. Then he stopped short, and swore, "Damn it."

"We're not on this floor, are we?" I teased, limping rapidly after him. After two days of bed rest, I could walk, but sitting in a chair had nearly reduced me to tears. It didn't help that I'd over-exerted my back hiding from Kate, and then fallen again in the school parking lot. He shook his head and we made our way up to the fourth floor, where we walked down to the first corner. The eeriness of the quiet became even more apparent when Scott dug the keys out of his pocket and hit the alarm.

Scott sighed, looking up as the alarm sounded through the concrete ceiling. I shrugged and bent to pick up the bag of bread I'd set down when the bottle of half-and-half creamer rolled out of the bag. Scott lunged for it, but it rolled under an SUV in front of him. I went to limp around the back of the truck when the bottle rolled back, slashed by four perfect claw marks. "Oh my god,' I gasped, leaping away from the SUV as Scott took off. We both knew I couldn't run, and that the Alpha wanted Scott, so I dove behind a car as the Alpha roared.

I waited, holding my breath, as the Alpha gave chase, and then picked up the grocery bags and limped as fast as I could along the up ramp to the fifth floor. Several floors below me, car alarms blared, and I urged my shrieking back to shut up so I could run. Dropping the bags by the back of our car, I kept walking, taking cover behind another car further up the floor.

"What the hell was that?" Scott snapped.

"I said I was gonna teach you, didn't say when," Derek's voice made me peak out from behind the truck I was crouched by, and I sighed in relief.

"You scarred the crap out of me," Scott accused.

"Not yet," the older wolf replied, looking over at the teen beside him. As they walked, I noticed something that made my heart ache. Scott's outfit was exactly like what Derek had worn at the age of sixteen. My adoptive brother was even the same height Derek had been at sixteen. But the worst part was; Scott's eyes had the same steady warmth and caring that Derek's gaze had once held. I prayed that the emotions that made Scott's brown eyes so adorable wouldn't be crushed out of him by grief like it had been for Derek. Scott was just like Derek; when Derek had been younger and innocent.

"Ok, but I was fast, right?" Scott asked.

"Not fast enough," Derek told him flatly.

"But the car alarm thing, that was smart, right?" Scott's right on the end of each question made me realize something else. He wanted so badly to get this right, to please Derek. Like Derek had been when our older brother Liam had been teaching him how to fight hunters.

"Until your phone rang," Derek's reply made me drop my head into my hands. Derek had caught Scott. Because his phone had rang, signaling his position like light in the dark.

"Yeah, but that was-I mean-would you just stop!" Scott yelled. "Please? What happened the other night, Stiles' dad getting hurt, Ami getting hurt again; that was my fault! I should have been there to do something. I need you to teach me how to control this!"

"Look, I am what I am because of birth. You were bitten. Teaching someone who was bitten takes time! I don't even know if I can teach you," Derek replied. In those four sentences, I think he made Scott trust him enough to be patient, because Derek had just revealed a lot of how he really felt from behind his cold mask.

"What do I have to do?" Scott asked.

"You have to get rid of distractions. See this? This is why I caught you. You want me to teach you, get rid of her," Derek's voice was weird. Not harsh, but not kind. More…understanding.

"What just because of her family?" Scott challenged. "Wait, wait, whoa!" Scott yelled, and something shattered against the cement.

"You getting angry? That's your first lesson. You wanna learn how to control this, how to shift; you do it through anger, by tapping into a primal animal rage. But you can't do that with her around," Derek's voice was loud, perfectly audible. He was losing patience now.

"I can get angry," Scott told him, his voice way lower. Way angrier.

"Not angry enough! This is the only way that I can teach you. Now, can you stay away from her? At least until after the full moon?"

"If that's what it takes," Scott sighed.

"Do you want to live?" Derek demanded. "Do you want to protect your friends, yes or no?"

"Yes!" Scott insisted. "If you can teach me, I can stay away from her," he decided. Satisfied, they continued until they reached Scott's car, where they found the grocery bags. "Ami?"

Scott's voice was worried, and I leaned around the truck's tire. I waved tiredly, and called, "Over here." The two appeared a minute later, and Scott lifted me up gently.

"Would you mind taking her home? I have to stop at Stiles' house and check on his dad," Scott asked Derek.

The taller wolf nodded, and once Scott piled the bags in the car and pulled out, he turned to me. His eyes softened, and he swept me up like a princess being swept off her feet by her knight in shining armor. Except my knight was a werewolf; his shining armor a dark leather jacket. "I should be really mad at you for making me run because now I hurt everywhere," I murmured to him.

"I was hoping he'd get protective enough of you to shift," he sighed, "I really didn't want to chase you." He was carrying me up to the roof lot, where I saw the Camaro glittering under the lights like some shiny animal.

"Scott and I haven't been very good siblings to each other lately," I explained softly, curling up in the passenger seat once he'd put me in the car. On the drive back from the store, I somehow managed to make small talk with Derek about school. He didn't need to know I hadn't been in three days. Mom was working another late shift, so I didn't have to answer any questions when Derek carried me into the house. Derek waited in Scott's room while I showered, and once I was dressed, I joined him. I ended up falling asleep curled up on Scott's bed, Derek sitting in the chair next to me while we waited for Scott to come home.

When I woke up in the morning, I was still in Scott's bed, but Scott was lying next to me. A dream about standing in the center of a red spiral with Laura was slipping away, and I felt the need to wear another teal outfit. I decided on a teal tank top under a white blazer and dark wash skinny jeans. A pair of teal ballet flats and a teal ribbon to hold my hair back completed the look. I took a few pain killers for my back, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize it didn't hurt nearly as bad as I'd expected. "Remember, stay away from Allison," I told Scott on the way out the door. He nodded and I started my walk down the road to the corner where Derek picked me up.

"The Alpha drew a spiral on Scott's car window last night," Derek told me, "And he knows I buried Laura under one."

"Did you tell him about the meaning? I had a dream about Laura and me standing in a spiral last night," I murmured once I got over my surprise.

"Which is why you're in teal today," he finished. I nodded, blushing, and kissed his cheek before I got out of the car. "No, I didn't tell him," I heard him call as I closed the door.

To my surprise, Stiles intercepted me after first period. "When do you have free period?" he asked.

"Third period, right before out chemistry class," I told him.

"Good. Meet Scott and me in the café. We have to teach him so he doesn't have to go to Derek," he ordered as he started to walk away. I rolled my eyes, but joined Danny for French with a smile on my face.

When I walked into the café, the first thing I saw was Allison and Lydia. "Hey," I called, walking over.

"Hey, can you look at this for me? Tell me what you think it looks like?" Allison requested, holding out a book.

I took it, seeing the smoky image on the page. As I looked at it, my gaze was drawn to the red eyes, and I felt myself go pale. I thrust it back at her, blinking rapidly, and said, "It looks like a wolf, but wolves don't walk upright, so bear maybe?"

"What does it look like to you?" Allison turned to Lydia, holding up the book.

Lydia instantly went pale, her eyes locked on the figure's red eyes. Allison called her name three times before I shut the book, snapping Lydia out of her memory of what I guessed was the attack on the video store. "It looks like a big wolf," the strawberry blonde shrugged. "See you in history," she chirped, standing with a smile. I knew she was running before Allison saw how shaken she was, and looked around for Stiles and Scott.

Stiles saw me and grabbed his book out of Scott's hand. He motioned for me to follow, and I was going to excuse myself when Allison caught sight of Scott fleeing. Shaking my head, I followed Stiles to the locker rooms. "Grab your sneakers and a sweatshirt," he told me. I nodded, heading into the girls' room. I changed into socks and my running sneakers and swapped my blazer for a zip-up sweatshirt I kept for gym. When I rejoined Stiles in the hallway, he was carrying his lacrosse gear and Scott was there. I went with them to the lacrosse field. "Now, put this on," Stiles ordered, handing a black belt to Scott.

"Isn't this one of the heart rate monitors for the track team?" Scott asked, and I leaned over the bench to take a look.

"Yea," Stiles confirmed. "I borrowed it."

"Stolen?" Scott and I chorused.

"Temporarily misappropriated," he corrected, exasperated. "Coach uses it to monitor his heart rate with his phone while he jogs. So you're gonna wear it for the rest of the day."

"Is that Coach's phone?" Scott asked.

"That I stole," Stiles said flatly.

"Why?" Scott questioned.

"Alright, well you're heart rate goes up when you go wolf, right? When you're playing lacrosse, when you're with Allison, whenever you get angry. Maybe learning to control it is tied to controlling your heart rate," the seated boy explained.

"Like the Incredible Hulk?" Scott realized. Now I had to roll my eyes.

"Kinda like the Incredible Hulk," Stiles agreed.

"No, I'm like the Incredible Hulk," Scott said with glee. He'd loved the Hulk when he was younger.

"Would you shut up and put the strap on? And you take this," Stiles replied, tossing me Scott's old lacrosse stick. It was the perfect size for me, since Scott had used it in middle school.

"What are we doing?" I asked suspiciously.

"Watch," Stiles said. He taped Scott's hands together behind his back, and tossed a few lacrosse balls onto the grass. I picked one up experimentally, tossing it up and down a few times. It had been a while since I'd played lacrosse. Growing up with the Hales meant I'd learned pretty early in life, but I'd stopped playing when I'd gone to high school.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my free period," Scott complained.

"Alright, ready?" Stiles asked.

"No," Scott looked at me like I was crazy and I grinned mischievously.

"Remember, don't get angry," Stiles ordered. He leaned down, turning on the heart rate monitor, and I jumped up and down a few times, testing my back.

"I'm starting to think this isn't such a good idea," Scott told us as Stiles positioned me.

"Just stand there and don't get mad," I told him. Turning to Stiles, I whispered, "What do I do, just throw them at him?"

"You played right?" he asked. When I nodded, he gestured to Scott, and I shrugged. Aiming for my brother's chest, I threw, and the ball thumped into his stomach with a smack. "There ya go!" Stiles cheered, throwing the next one a bit lower. Scott doubled over, and Stiles grinned at me. Even as a bench-warmer the kid threw harder than I could. I scowled and started aiming for places that would hurt.

"Okay, that one kinda hurt," Scott said, slightly bend forward.

"Quiet, remember you're supposed to be thinking about your heart rate, alright; about staying calm," Stiles told him.

"If you have to, use a mantra, a kind of chant. Focus on the sound of your own heart beat," I added.

"Stay calm, staying calm," Scott muttered, dodging one of my higher throws. He starting bouncing up and down, saying, "Staying totally clam, there's no balls flying at my face." He grunted when a particularly hard throw hit him.

Then movement in my peripherals caught my eye, and I looked over to the bleachers to see Jackson watching, laughing. Then he seemed to realize that the little one with a long ponytail hidden under a hood was me, and his eyes widened. I made a shooing motion, but he ignored me with a sneer. "Son of a bitch!" Scott snapped, and I winced. That one had hit pretty low.

"You know, I think my aim is actually improving," Stiles mused.

"I wonder why," my brother retorted.

"Stiles, no sarcasm. It's making him angrier," I realized, glancing at the phone.

"Don't get angry," Stiles reminded Scott.

We threw a few more times, and then I picked up a feeling. "Stiles, hold on," I cautioned as Scott said, "Stop, wait, wait," but Stiles hit him, hard, right in the diaphragm, and Scott went down on his knees.

"Shit," I gasped, as Stiles picked up the phone.

"Scott?" the other boy asked. In response, my brother ripped free of the duck tape.

"Breathe, Scotty," I murmured, moving close enough to kneel before him. The beeps on the phone slowed, and I sighed. "Just breathe. Like me; listen to my heart," I urged him.

"Scott, you started to change," Stiles said, leaning over me from behind.

"Anger, but it was more than that. It was like, the angrier I got, the stronger I felt," my brother explained.

"That's the primal, animal rage Derek was telling you about," I told him.

"So it is anger, Derek's right," Stiles realized.

Then I saw the light bulb go off in Scott's head. "I can't be around Allison," he realized.

"Just because she makes you happy?" Stiles asked, incredulous.

I shook my head, my hand on Scott's shoulder as he said, "No, because she makes me weak."

The day just got worse in economics. With Coach teaching, I knew it would. I was sitting in the corner of the room, in Coach's soft computer chair, because apparently hurling lacrosse balls at my werewolf brother had been too much for my back. I ignored the little, ridiculously awkward situation between Scott and Allison, and glared at the girl who'd stolen my seat beside Danny. "Let's settle down," Coach suggested. "Let's start with a quick summary of last night's reading," he told everyone. Hands went up, mine included, and Coach snapped, "Greenburg, put your hand down. Everybody knows you did the reading. How about McCall?" I opened my mouth to answer, but he gesturing at Scott, he said, "Not McCall two. This one."

I groaned as I listened to Scott fumble, and glared around the room when people laughed. They fell silent the instant they realized I was angry, knowing that Danny, Jackson, or even Lydia was perfectly capable of ripping them a new one for me. And they'd all do it differently. Then Coach's heart monitor started beeping, and my head shot up. Stiles looked up at me worriedly, and I gulped. I was about to start murmuring to him when Allison took his hand.

Instantly the beeping slowed dramatically, and I sighed. Then I spoke, summarizing the entire textbook. And managed to shut Coach up completely. "Feel better about our generation now, Coach?" I asked in a falsely sweet voice. The class laughed, and Coach glared at me. I glared right back, my chin high. He wasn't picking on my brother on my watch.

Then I saw back, smirking, waiting for the class to end. In the hall after class, I sent a text to Derek saying, "We have a problem. Scott found his anchor. It's Allison."

If I thought Stiles' training was done during our free period, I was so wrong. When I glanced out the window on my way to the parking lot after school, and saw Scott on the ground, being beaten up with Stiles standing nearby, an actual growl slipped free. Mr. Harris, of all teachers, heard, and looked at me curiously. So I pointed out the window, and the Chemistry teacher went out the nearest door. I watched him give the boys detention, and then hurried out the side door as Derek pulled up.

"Scott's a lovey-dovey fool and Stiles is an idiot," I sighed. He looked over, an amused smirk on his face, before I saw the confliction in his eyes. "What's wrong? You look upset" I murmured.

"Do you mind if we go see Peter? I need to see if he'll respond. I really need his help," he said.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've been visiting most weekends depending on my Sunday shift," I admitted. He nodded sadly and we sat in thoughtful silence the rest of the ride. When we walked up to the care center, Derek took my hand, and I moved as close to his side as I could.

As he sat down on Uncle Peter's bed, I moved around to sit beside him, still holding his hand. He turned Peter's wheelchair, keeping his free hand on the arm of the chair, so I reached out to take one of the man's hands. "I need your help," Derek started. "If you can hear me, I need you to give me a sign. Blink, raise a finger anything, just something to point me in the right direction, okay?" I think when he paused; we both searched out uncle's face for some kind of reaction, but to no avail. Derek looked down, the words sticking in his throat as he continued, "Someone killed Laura." I had to squeeze his hand when I heard him say it, because it felt like a kick in the gut.

"Your niece, Laura? Whoever he is, he's an Alpha now. But he's one without a pack, which means he's not as strong. I can take him, but I have to find him first." Here I tightened my hold on Peter's hand, wishing his once mischievous blue eyes would just blink.

"Look, if you know something, can you give me a sign. Is it one of us? Did someone else make it out of the fire?" Derek demanded.

"Derek, easy," I soothed, nudging him.

"Just give me anything," Derek pleaded with Peter, leaning forward. "Blink, raise a finger, anything!" Then, grabbing the arms of the chair, he shook the chair, crying, "Say something!" The pain in his voice was obvious, and I knew I'd probably end up sleeping wherever he was tonight.

"Let him go!" a sharp voice ordered. Derek straightened as I jumped to my feet, and we turned to see a pale, red-headed nurse at the door. "You think after six years of this yelling at him will get a response?"

"You got a better method?" Derek challenged.

"Patience," she said in a gentler tone. "He'll respond if you give him the time."

He looked down at Peter and said, "I don't have any more time." He pulled me out the door, and I whispered an excuse us to the young woman. When we walked out of the care clinic, I pulled up the fur-lined hood of my jacket. The temperature had dropped dramatically, and flurries were falling from the gray sky overhead. As I went to open my door, a piece of paper under the windshield wipers caught my eye, and I went to reach for it. But of course, Derek grabbed it faster. He unfolded it, looked at it, and then looked up to search the area.

"Derek?" I asked as snow fell around my face. He didn't reply, instead getting into the Camaro and staring it. I scrambled in and my door had just closed when he sped out of the parking lot. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," he told me shortly. I narrowed my eyes at him but settled for playing with the radio until I found a song I actually liked. And just when it got to the good part, Derek pulled into the animal clinic and cut the engine. "Let's go," he ordered, getting out.

"Derek, it's closed," I protested. But he didn't even acknowledge the fact that there was indeed a closed sign on the door.

"Scott, you're late again. I hope this isn't getting to be a habit," Dr. Deaton said.

"He got detention, sir. He'll be here any minute," I spoke up. I was trying to both save Scott's idiotic ass and warn Derek.

Deaton looked up, smiling as he recognized my voice, and saw not me, but Derek, who was standing in front of me. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Hope so," Derek told him. Something was very much up if his tone was anything to go by. "I want to know about the animal you found with the spiral in its side," he continued.

"Excuse me? What animal?" Deaton asked, crossing his arms. But his tone wasn't strong, and I didn't like the feeling in my stomach.

"Three months ago; the deer," Derek replied, opening the piece of paper from his windshield. "You remember this?" he asked, holding it up.

"Ah, yes," the vet replied, pointing at the paper. "It's just a deer," he added. "And I didn't find it; they called me because they wanted to know if I'd seen anything like it." That weird smile, like he was trying to stay calm, was still on his face.

"What you tell them?" my brother demanded.

"I told them no," Deaton assured him. He swallowed, and Derek lowered the paper.

"Did you hear that?" Derek asked, moving closer so he could stand at the edge of the table.

"Hear what?" the older man responded, moving so the table was between them.

"The sound of your heartbeat rising," Derek said simply.

"Calm down," I murmured, moving to stand between them at the table. I touched his arm, and Deaton shot me a look like I was out of my mind.

"Excuse me?" Scott's boss asked.

"It's the sound of you lying," Derek said through clenched teeth. Then he grabbed Deaton by his jacket front and yanked him up onto his side on the table.

"Derek!" I gasped, jumping out of the way.

"Get out," he snapped at me. I drew back, starting to feel a little fear. I knew my heart rate was accelerating, but I ducked into the dog kennels regardless. Instantly, a black lab with a wrapped paw moved to the edge of his kennel to stick his nose through the gate, whimpering. I shushed him in the voice I'd been using on Derek a lot as I sat next to him

"What are you doing?!" Scott yelled, and I peeked up through the window. My jaw dropped in horror when I saw Derek holding up Deaton, who was seated and bound to his desk chair.

I went to open the door and found it locked, and hit the window with the flat of my hand. "Derek, let me out!" I cried as Deaton yelled for Scott to run. Derek punched Deaton, knocking him out cold, and Scott tried to push the older Beta back.

"Stop! Stop!" Scott ordered.

"Look, when he's conscious, he can keep himself from healing, but unconscious, he can't!" Derek snapped.

"Are you out of your mind?" Scott demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"You wanna know what the spiral means, Scott? It's our sign for a vendetta, for revenge. It means he won't stop killing until he's satisfied," Derek was mad, and I shrank back from the door.

"You think he's the Alpha?" Scott realized.

"We're about to find out," the older wolf told him, pulling his arm back to strike.

But Scott caught Derek's arm in a clawed hand and growled. He shoved Derek's arm away, and lifted his hand to look at it. But I was looking at Derek's face and seeing something like surprise. The short haired wolf backed up a few steps, but I couldn't look away. Scott's wolf melted away and he said, "Hit him again and then you'll see me get angry."

Derek let me out of the kennel, and I went straight to Scott. Catching him by the chin as he took out a big cotton ball, I pressed two fingers to his throat. His pulse was strong, steady, and _normal_. Flashing him a grin, I kissed his cheek and went to feed the cats on his request. They were uneasy, like they knew there was two, maybe three werewolves standing in the other room. Then I realized they probably did know.

When I got back, Scott was gone, and Derek was pacing the waiting room. I went into the examining room, but I didn't want to stand there or pace. So I managed to clean the blood off the vet's face with a wet cotton ball. Afterwards I cleaned up the rest of the room. Derek eventually came in, taped the man's mouth shut with duck tape, cut him free of the chair, and rebound his hands. Then he threw Scott's boss over his shoulder and carried him out to the Camaro, where he dumped the unconscious man into the backseat.

The beat up blue Jeep was already parked in the lot when we pulled into the school. Stiles took out bolt cutters and a flashlight from the back as Derek parked behind the Jeep. "Where's my boss?" Scott demanded as I climbed out of the passenger seat.

"He's in the back," Derek sighed, annoyed.

The boys bent over to look in the back window, and Stiles retorted, "Oh, well he looks comfortable."

"Come on," Scott said, hitting Stiles shoulder to get the kid's attention as he walked away.

"Wait, hey, what are you doing?" Derek asked as they headed up the walkway.

"You said I was linked with the Alpha," Scott explained. We both heard him add, "I'm gonna see if you're right."

"What do you think he's trying to do?" I asked, leaning against the back of the Jeep. I knew better than to sit on the Camaro. Derek shook his head with a shrug, and I sighed. Then through the intercom speakers came a horrible wailing sound.

I cringed, thinking it was some kind of cat or maybe a dying dog. "He's got to be kidding me," Derek muttered. I quirked an eyebrow at him, and he explained, "That was your brother attempting to howl." I snorted, covering my hand as I tried not to burst out laughing, and Derek rolled his eyes at me.

Then a deep, guttural, resounding howl shook the school. "Oh my god!" I gasped, throwing myself into Derek's arms. Derek looked around, pulling me with him as he moved around the Jeep to look at the school. The sound brought back the memory of the night Scott had been bitten, and suddenly I was overwhelmed with memories.

"I'm gonna kill both of you!" Derek snapped as I clung to his arm. My heart rate was rapidly accelerating, and I knew it wasn't slowing down anytime soon. "What the hell was that? What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?"

"Derek," I gasped softly. Something was really, really, really wrong.

"Sorry. I didn't know it would be that loud," Scott replied.

"Derek, we need to leave," I murmured. I could feel the blood draining from my face as my stomach churned.

"Yeah, it was loud, and it was awesome!" Stiles sing-songed.

"Shut up," Derek ordered. We'd both heard the sound, but neither of us knew what it was, or could place it.

"Don't be such a sour-wolf," Stiles replied.

I swayed as Scott hit Stiles to shut him up. "What did you do with him?"

"What?" Derek asked, turning around. I turned too, but the fog rolling up in my eyes prevented me from seeing that the door to the Camaro was wide open, and Deaton was gone. "I didn't do anything."

"He's here!" I gasped, my voice barely audible as the voice buried in the back of my head suddenly roared. I fell to my knees as Derek suddenly went tense and convulsed. He was lifted away from me, and blood spattered the pavement, splashing on my hands and arms. Somewhere through the screams in my head, I could hear Stiles and Scott fleeing and the Alpha roaring above me. Something grazed my back, and later I would realize it was Derek's foot as he was thrown against the school wall.

With one arm wrapped around my stomach and my head buried in the crook of my other elbow, I curled up in an agonized ball on the pavement. I couldn't see the Alpha bend over me, sniffing at me. I couldn't hear him rumble a growl when he caught scent of the Wolfsbane in my locket. I couldn't feel him reach out with one massive clawed hand and rip the chain from my neck. I couldn't even scream.


	11. Night School

**Author's Note: Oh my god this chapter was so nerve wracking to write! I'm making some changes, because well, Derek can't be a fugitive for what I have planned.**

**Thanks to Flowering birdies and Marine 76 for reviewing!**

Chapter 11-Night School

Slowly the pain coursing through my body faded, and I became aware of the fact that the Alpha was crouched over me. I could see my locket dangling from his claws, and a rush of panic paralyzed me. 'I'm completely defenseless against a monster who wants to turn me into a werewolf.' I realized.

Then he spoke, his voice slurred by fangs. "Don't be afraid little one. You'll make a great wolf," he told me, lowering his head towards my side. Then we both heard the door close, and he jerked up, like he'd caught a scent. "Human," he growled, crawling over me.

'Stiles,' my brain gasped, but my mouth wouldn't open to scream at him to run. The Alpha walked around the side of the Jeep and crouched, ready to spring. Then he charged and I was left, frozen, on the pavement. Until he came back, and I watched from the ground as he ripped the battery free from Stiles' Jeep. Throwing back his head, he howled, and I clutched at my ears. Pain was throbbing through my head, and dimly I realized that the Alpha was causing it.

Then the Alpha bounded away, and the pain faded. I pushed myself up, and looked for Derek's body. He was lifting himself up, pale and weak, but he managed to stagger over to me as I clawed my way to my feet using the Jeep. "Ami," he gasped, sagging against the Camaro.

"Go!" I ordered. "You're hurt, and you can't protect me!"

"He'll kill you," the Beta whispered as I fell against his chest.

"No, he'll kill you. He just tried. He wants to turn me, and he wants Scott on his side. I'm safe enough. Go, please! I have to help Scott," I replied, pushing him to the driver's side.

"No," he protested even as I shoved him into the car.

"Derek, go!" I snapped, taking the keys from his pocket and starting the car. "GO!" I shouted, slamming the door and falling back. The pain was building in my head again and I didn't have the strength to fight it. Collapsing, and hating myself for being so weak, I watched Derek speed away. I sighed, relieved, knowing that at least he was safe.

A few minutes later, Jackson's Porsche pulled up. I tried to lift my head to call out to Jackson as he got out, but the fog was rolling up in front of my eyes again. Faintly, I could hear Jackson and Allison talking, but I couldn't make out their words. If I had been able to hear her, I would have screamed at Allison not to go into the school, and for the three of them to get out of there as fast as possible. Furious snarls echoed in my head, making black spots float before my eyes. Trying as hard as I could to fight it, I was no match for a furious Alpha, and everything went black.

I woke to someone shaking my shoulder. "Ami!" a terrified Lydia cried. I groaned and opened my eyes to see her and Jackson standing over me. They were both pale, and I knew I wasn't much better.

"I'm okay," I rasped, letting Jackson help me to my feet.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"And where's your dumbass brother?" Jackson added.

"He's inside with Stiles. Someone hit me in the back of the head. You have to go. Someone's trying to kill people," I lied, then spouted out the truth.

"Allison's in there!" Lydia gasped. I swore under my breath and grabbed Jackson's wrist, pulling him towards the school. His girlfriend hurried after us, until she declared she needed to use the bathroom. "There's one right here," she said.

"Are you kidding me?" Jackson asked. "You have to use the bathroom now?"

"Lydia, we don't have time," I murmured.

"Yes, now. You have a problem with me having basic biological functions?" asked Jackson, ignoring me.

"You know, I'm starting to have a problem with all of your functions," Jackson snapped. Lydia drew back; looking like he'd slapped her and disappeared into the bathroom. I danced nervously and weakly from foot to foot until Jackson called, "McCall!" I whipped around and instantly spotted the figure half hidden behind the door frame at the end of the hall. My head throbbed, and I knew it wasn't my brother. "Scott?" Jackson tried, taking a step back. I backed towards him, stepping out of my flats as I did. I really needed to reconsider my footwear selections. "Derek?" Jackson asked. His voice was softer, way more afraid as we kept retreating.

Then the figure dropped to all fours and crossed the hallway. The voice in my head growled, but faded as he disappeared. Lydia came out of the bathroom, and asked, "Did you find them?" but when neither of us answered, still staring down the hallway, she turned to look.

Jackson sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, and I knew the wounds Derek had given him had not only yet to heal, but the Alpha was using them to cause Jackson pain. Just like he was doing to me in my head. "No," he said, "no." I stepped back into my flats, temporarily relieved.

Lydia sighed and pulled out her phone. "He given you his excuse yet?" she asked Allison. The other girl replied and Lydia said, "Meet us in the lobby." As the redhead walked away, I felt Jackson grab my elbow and realized I was still shaking. I let him support me, since I knew that the next time the Alpha took control of my head, I was going down. Lydia called Allison again just as she burst through the doors to the lobby, and we came across Scott, Stiles, and Allison.

"Finally," Lydia said, "can we go now?"

Then the voice in my head snarled, and I looked up. There was a thud in the ceiling, and Jackson let me go. He took Lydia's hand as Allison moved closer to Scott. Stiles reached out for me, seeing how pale I was, and I took his hand, my heart still racing. "Run!" Scott ordered, and Stiles took off for the stairs, pulling me with him. The others followed; Lydia slowed down by her heals. An enraged roar made me falter, but Stiles hauled me upright and kept running. I looked back, my eyes meeting the glowing red, and we burst through the double doors. Scott locked them behind us, but I knew it would do no good if the Alpha was angry enough.

"Help me get this in front of the door!" Scott told Jackson, and they started moving the milk cooler. That's when I realized we were in the café.

"Scott, wait, not here!" Stiles said, and I stumbled against a stack of chairs when I saw the wall of windows.

"What was that?" Allison asked. "Scott, what was that?" she demanded.

"It was in the ceiling," Lydia sobbed.

"Just help me!" Scott replied. "Stack the chairs!" he ordered the girls.

"Guys!" Stiles tried to tell them. "Just wait a second! You guys, listen to me!" But everyone kept moving stuff in front of the doors. "Can we wait a second?"

"Scott, look!" I said.

"Guys! Stiles talking. Can we hang on one second please?" he finally had to resort to yelling "Hello?!" Everyone whirled around, and he continued. "Okay, nice work. Really beautiful job, everyone. Now what should we do about the twenty foot wall of windows?"

Horrified looks came over the others as they saw the windows, and I sank onto the table. Lydia was holding Jackson's arm, and Allison had Scott's hand. But everything was spinning to me, and pressure was sitting in my head like a time bomb. "Okay, can somebody please explain to me what is going on, because I'm freaking out here," Allison sobbed, turning to Scott. "And I'd like to know why. But Scott didn't answer, and she pleaded, "Scott."

He came to me, wrapping his arms around me, and I murmured, "Don't. They'll be terrified if they know."

He looked at Stiles, who stepped forward and said, "Somebody killed the janitor."

"What?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah, the janitor's dead," the skinny boy told them.

"What's he talking about? Is this a joke?" Allison asked.

"Somebody knocked me out in the parking lot, so, no, Allison, it's not a joke!" I cried, snarling at her. She backed up a step and Scott caught my chin. He stared into my eyes and I breathed, only for him, "He has control over me. I can't fight back."

"Who killed him?" Jackson demanded.

"No-no-no-no, this was supposed to be over. The mountain lion…" Lydia said.

"Don't you get it, there wasn't a mountain lion!" Jackson snapped.

"Who was it?" Allison demanded. "What does he want? What's happening?" she wasn't crying yet, but she was close. "Scott!" she finally yelled.

"I don't know!" Scott told her, letting me go. "I just…if-if we go out there, he's gonna kill us," he added.

"Us?" Lydia asked. "He's gonna kill us?"

"Who?" Allison asked, turning to Stiles as I swayed, holding desperately onto Scott's arm. "Who is it?" she demanded, and the other two turned to look at him. He looked to me, but I sighed, shaking my head.

Scott sighed, then straightened and said, "It's Derek. It's Derek Hale." Stiles jaw dropped as I wrapped my fingers around Scott's wrist.

"Wait, Derek killed the janitor?" Jackson asked.

"Are you sure?" Allison asked.

"No, Scott, I was on the phone with Derek. He's not even in town right now! I could hear him driving when the guy knocked me out," I said. "And Derek wasn't in town yet when Laura was killed. Besides, Jackson and I saw the mountain lion in the video store."

"Did you see who hit you?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah. He's blonde, blue eyes, smaller than Derek," I replied. I was thinking of Peter Hale, but of course, it wasn't him, since he was wheelchair bound and practically in a coma.

"Then he's in here with us. And if we don't get out now, then he's going to kill us too," Scott told them.

"So it's not Derek?" Allison asked.

"It can't be," I told her.

"Call the cops," Jackson ordered Stiles.

"No," Stiles refused instantly, since he knew what was really hunting us.

"What do you mean, no?" the taller boy asked.

"I mean no, you want to hear it in Spanish? No!" Stiles snapped. "Whoever it is killed three people. We don't know what he's armed with."

"Your dad is armed with an entire Sheriff's Department!" Jackson exclaimed. "Call him!"

"I'm calling," Lydia decided, pulling out her phone.

"No, Lydia, would you just hold on," Stiles went to stop her, but Jackson pushed the smaller boy back. Instantly, Scott moved to stand between them, and I caught the chairs before I fell. The Alpha was messing with my head again, but the feeling in my stomach wasn't there, so I assumed that he wasn't near.

"Yes, we're at Beacon Hills High School. We're trapped and we need you to…" Lydia trailed off, and then stared down at her phone in shock. "She hung up on me," she told us.

"The police hung up on you?" Allison exclaimed.

"She said they got a tip warning them there was going to be a prank calls about a break in at the high school. She said if I called again that they're gonna trace my phone and have me arrested," the red-head explained.

"Okay, then call again!" Allison urged her, thinking if they traced it they'd find us really here.

"No, they won't trace a cell," Stiles told her. "And they'll send a car to your house before they send anyone here."

"But, what? What is this?" Allison covered her face, and then got angry. "Why does he want to kill us? Why is he killing anyone?"

"Why is everyone looking at me?" Scott asked, and I looked up.

"Is he the one that sent her the text?" Lydia asked.

"What text?" I asked, moving to walk over. Stiles reached for me, helping me stand beside him.

"Allison got a text from Scott saying to meet him here," Jackson explained.

"Scott's phone is broken. Somebody had to use a computer to hack Mom's account and send it through the number. There are two people behind this," I realized.

"Is he the one that called the police?" Allison asked.

"I don't know!" Scott shouted, and Allison bit her lip before she turned away with a hurt look.

"How the hell could he know? It's not like any of us heard who called!" I snapped, moving to stand on Stiles other side.

"Alright, why don't we ease back on the throttle here, yeah?" Stiles asked, pushing Scott away and pulling me with him.

"God, I totally just bit her head off," Scott realized.

"And she'll totally get over it, there's bigger issues at hand here," Stiles replied. "Like how do we get out alive?"

"But we are alive," Scott said. "It could have killed us already. It's like it's cornering s or something."

"So, what, he wants to eat us all at the same time?" Stiles asked.

"No, Derek said it wants revenge," Scott told him.

"Against who?" Stiles asked.

"Allison's family?" Scott suggested.

"Maybe that's what the text was about," Stiles realized. "Someone had to send it."

"No, it won't kill us. He wants you in his pack and he was going to bite me before Stiles came outside," I told him.

"I've never loved you so much for doing something so stupid," Scott realized, looking at Stiles as he pulled me into his chest. His heart was beating wildly through his sweatshirt, and I took a deep breath.

"Okay, ass-heads, new plan," Jackson ordered. "Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. Are we good with that?" He asked the girls behind him.

"He's right," Scott told Stiles, and I nodded. "Tell him the truth if you have to, just call him."

"Stiles, the police and their guns are our only chance," I murmured.

"I'm not watching my dad get eaten alive," the short haired kid told Scott.

"Alright, give me the phone," Jackson ordered, grabbing Stiles' shoulder. Stiles whirled, punching Jackson square in the face, and Scott let me fall so he could pull Stiles away.

"Jackson!" Allison exclaimed, running over. She knelt beside Jackson, asking, "Are you okay?" Stiles sighed and pulled out his phone.

But on the floor, I gasped, my stomach suddenly twisting. "He's here!" I told Scott.

Something slammed the door, and Lydia jumped. She ran to Jackson as he got up, but I crouched on the floor. The others backed away as Stiles said, "Dad, we're at the school, okay? We're at the school."

"Oh god, oh my god," the strawberry blonde gasped, clutching Jackson's arm. I saw screws bouncing out of the locks, and groaned as the angry snarl blocked my ears from inside my head.

"The kitchen. The door out of the kitchen leads to a stairwell," Stiles suggested.

"Which only goes up," Scott protested.

"Up is better than here," Stiles reminded him, hauling me to my feet. We scrambled out the backdoor just in time. The boys charged up the stairs, Allison pulling Lydia, who still had on her heels. I followed the best I could, but just like in the parking lot, the Alpha was rendering me helpless and frozen. I caught them as Lydia opened the door to Mr. Harris's room. Allison yanked me inside, and I fell against a table as Scott stuck a stool under the door handle.

A single growl from the Alpha had me on one knee as he passed by the door. When he was gone, Scott asked, "Jackson, how many people can fit in your car?"

"Five, if someone squeezes on someone's lap. We'll fit if Ami and Allison sit on you two," he replied.

"Five? I barely fit in the back," Allison hissed.

"It doesn't matter. There's no getting out without drawing attention," Stiles told them.

"What about this?" Scott asked, moving to the other door. "This leads to the roof. We can down the fire escape to the parking lot in like seconds."

"That's a deadbolt," Stiles told him.

"The janitor has a key," my brother realized.

"You mean his body has it," Stiles corrected.

"I can get it," Scott assured him. "I can find it by scent, by blood," he whispered.

"Well, gee that sounds like an incredibly terrible idea, what else you got?" Stiles replied.

"I'm getting the key," my brother declared.

"No, Scott," I choked, rising to my feet. I grasped the table, but I wasn't swaying anymore.

"Are you serious?" Allison whispered.

"It's the best plan. Someone has to get the key if we want to get out of here," my brother told her. I wanted to cry, realizing how selfless and brave this was. Scott's werewolf protectiveness was here already; he wasn't going to let anyone die.

"You can't go out there unarmed," Allison argued. I just shook my head when he grabbed the board pointer.

"Well it's better than nothing," he said.

"There's got to be something else," Stiles told him.

"There is," Lydia said, nodding her head at the chemical cabinets.

"What are we gonna do, throw acid on him?" Stiles asked.

"No, like a fire bomb. In there is everything we need to make a self-igniting Molotov Cocktail," she told us.

"Self-igniting…" Stiles repeated.

"Molotov cocktail," Lydia finished for him. Everyone looked at her and she realized she'd let down her stupid mask. "What? I read it somewhere," she assured Jackson.

"We don't have a key for that either," Stiles told her. Jackson sighed, and rammed his leather covered elbow into the glass window.

I watched Lydia make the cocktail, but as Jackson handed her a bottle, I cocked my head. I inched closer to the window, still using tables for support. I looked down and saw Derek standing at the back of the parking lot. Turning my back on the little Allison-Scott moment, I texted him to find the Sheriff and tell him someone had killed the janitor and we were trapped. He vanished as I put my phone back in my jeans pocket.

"Lock it behind me," Scott ordered Stiles. I turned around in time to see Allison kiss my brother, tears running down her face.

Stiles and I followed him to the door, and I stopped him quickly. "Whatever you do, don't shift. He'll take control," I whispered as I hugged him. Stiles nodded to him and locked the door behind my brother.

Then I moved back to the window, concentrating on my brother's footsteps and the faint sounds of opening and closing doors. The distinct smell of the flask faded quickly as he walked down the hall. I closed my eyes and sat down on the floor, away from Allison and her ridiculousness. "I don't get this," the girl said after a little while. "I don't get why he's out there, why he left us, and I can't stop my hands from shaking," she continued.

I looked up at this as Jackson said, "It's okay, it's okay, it's going to be okay." He was holding her hands in his, and I got to my feet.

Moving Stiles over, I wrapped my arms around the girl sitting on the desk and murmured, "Listen to my heart. It'll calm you down." She leaned her head against me, and slowly, as we stayed there, I could feel her racing heart steadying out.

Then my head shot up, and I heard a slam. My heart jumped, and in my arms, so did Allison. "It's okay," I murmured. "it's just me," I assured her. I knew it was the sound of the bleachers slamming into place. Typically it took a few people to push them row by row back against the wall. But if the Alpha shoved them all at once, they'd only need one push to keep closing.

"Jackson, you handed me the sulfuric acid, right? It has to be sulfuric acid; it won't ignite if it's not," Lydia spoke up.

"I gave you exactly what you asked for, didn't I?" Jackson growled at her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure you did," Lydia replied, looking a little afraid.

A minute later, a howl shook the school. "Shit," I gasped, falling off the desk as I jumped. Allison and Lydia covered their ears, but Jackson was driven to his knees beside me. He was holding the back of his neck as I clutched at my head. "Scott," I gasped before all I could do was scream in pain. Stiles knelt beside me, his hands coming up over mine. As the howl stopped, I raised my head and he scrambled to his feet.

The girls lifted Jackson as I got up with Stiles' help, and I backed away from them. I knew Scott had been forced into a shift, and the Alpha was gone. "Seriously, I'm okay," Jackson ripped away from the girls and backed into me. I moved towards the window, clutching a table to remain upright.

"That didn't sound okay at all," Allison told him.

"What's on the back of your neck?" Stiles asked. Jackson slapped his hand away as Lydia moved over to me.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Over sensitive hearing plus getting hit in the back of the head made that hurt way more than it should," I explained, laughing it off. But I cast a worried look at Stiles, because that howl hadn't been like Scott's. That had been laced with the power of an Alpha.

"Look, I said I'm fine," Jackson insisted.

"It' been there for days. You won't tell me what happened," Lydia reminded him. Of course she'd noticed.

"Like you actually care," Jackson retorted and I stepped in front of Lydia. I snarled at the blonde, knowing full well that all Lydia did was care about him. Then I heard footsteps, and I pulled Lydia and Allison away from the door. The boys followed, and I knew they were Scott's.

"Alright, can we not argue for a half a second here?" Stiles asked. I kept my eyes on him, seeing Scott in the window of the door behind him.

"Where's Scott? He should be back by now," Allison said, and I reached out for he. She took my hand, but whirled around when we all heard the snapping sound. We all saw Scott's face through the window, and Allison cried, "Scott!" She knocked the chair away, but Scott had locked the door, and it wouldn't open now. "Scott!" she yelled, banging on the door with her hand.

"What's he doing?" Lydia asked. Allison started screaming, and I grabbed her wrist. "Stop!" Lydia ordered her. My head shot up and then she asked, "Do you hear that? Listen." The sirens made all of them run to the window, but outside the door, I could hear Scott panting. Until he shifted back and unlocked the door. Allison ran to him, jumping in his arms. He wrapped her into his chest as the others shouted to get the police's attention.

When Sheriff Stilinski got there, Stiles and I ran straight to him. Lydia and Allison were sobbing, relieved, into their boyfriends' leather jackets, and I really needed a safety hug now. He led us out of the classroom as more cops arrived to escort the others. Scott told him what had happened before I'd gotten to them, and I stuck to my story of a baseball bat to the back of the head. I gave him a description of who I'd claimed to have seen, but I felt really bad for not telling him the truth.

"Either of you two see him?" the Sheriff asked.

Stiles shook his head, but Scott said, "Yeah, he was blonde." Then he asked, "What about the janitor?"

"Still looking," Mr. Stilinski replied.

"Did you check under the bleachers, under?" Scott pressed.

"Yeah, Scott, we looked. We pulled them out just like you asked. There's nothing," Stiles' dad told him.

"I'm not making this up," Scott snapped, his anger rising. Through his fingers, I could feel his pulse rising, and pinched his palm.

"I know, I believe you, I do," the man said.

"No, you don't!" Scott cried. I knew he could hear Mr. Stilinski's heartbeat, so I let him go and leaned against tiles tiredly. "You have this look like you feel bad for me, like you want to believe me, but I know you don't," my brother told the Sheriff.

"Listen," Mr. S. said, "We're gonna search this whole school. We're gonna find him. Okay? I promise." Then the Sheriff was called away and I reached out for Scott. "Stay, all of you," Stiles' dad ordered as he walked away, pointing at Stiles.

"Well, we survived dude," Stiles said, holding out his arms. "You know, we outlasted the Alpha."

"No, we didn't," I sighed.

"It's still good, being alive, right?" Stiles asked.

"When we were in the Chemistry room, he walked right by. You don't think he heard us? You don't think it knew exactly where we were?" Scott replied.

"Well then how come we're still alive?" Stiles asked.

"It wants me in its pack," Scott told him, falling quiet as a detective walked by. "But first I think I have to get rid of my old pack.

"What do you mean what old pack?"

Scott hesitated then explained, "Allison. Jackson, Lydia," then he paused and admitted, "You."

I looked up at Stiles and realized his eyes were threatening to water. "The Alpha doesn't want to kill us," Stiles realized.

"It wants me to do it," Scott finished, turning away. "And that's not even the worst part."

"How in holy hell is that not the worst part, Scott?" Stiles demanded. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and his arm automatically came around my shoulders.

"Because when he made me shift, I wanted to do it. I wanted to kill you. All of you," Scott told him. Stiles' arm tightened around me, and I looked up to see how stricken he was. Scott hung his head, and I reached out with one arm to take his hand.

"What about Ami?" Stiles suddenly asked.

"What?" Scott and I asked, looking at him.

"When you said you had to kill your old pack, you didn't say Ami was part of it. Does the Alpha want you to kill her too?" Stiles questioned him.

Scott thought about it and then said, "No. He wanted me to bring her to him. He wants her too." Then he looked up and something caught his eye.

Stiles and I followed as he strode over to the ambulance. "There you are," Dr. Deaton said from where he sat in the back of the emergency vehicle.

"How-how did you?"

"Get out? Not easily. From what they tell me, I'm alive because of you. I think I owe you a raise," the vet told him.

"Guys come on, let's let the EMT's do their job. You can talk to him later," Sheriff Stilinski told us, taking Stiles by the arm.

Then Scott ran off, and I looked after him sadly. Stiles pulled me into a hug, and I snuggled into his side, just eager to feel safe again. I watched as Allison walked away, but there was nothing I could say to my brother to heal a broken heart.


	12. Lunatic

**Author's Note: I really hate this episode…and I made some changes to fit my Derek's-not-a-fugitive plan.**

**Thanks to Marine 76 for reviewing! Also, to the guest called Teresa, I'm really glad you like Derek's role! It means a lot that you took the time to let me know!**

Chapter 12-Lunatic

"Stiles is coming over to take Scott out and get him drunk. Go with them. Don't drink anything. You need to keep an eye on Scott," Derek told me from where he lying beside me.

"Why, because the full moon is tomorrow?" I asked quietly. Derek had shown up every night since the attack at the school, letting me sleep with the knowledge that I was safe.

"Being dumped is messing with his emotions, and the full moon is going to amplify them and twist them. He's gonna be a little strange," the Beta warned me. I nodded into his chest and sighed. Going out meant I had to get up and get dressed. So I pushed myself up to dress in dark jeans, black boots, a long sleeve green v-neck, a lightweight gray zip-up sweatshirt and my leather jacket. "You look so much better dressed like that than those dresses that Lydia puts you in," he told me when I flopped back onto his lap.

"Why, I look like a Hale this way?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded, his eyes half closed, and his hand came up to my ponytail. I knew what he was doing and leaned forward so he could pull the ponytail holder out. When my hair tumbled down around my shoulders, I sat back, leaning against his chest. His arms came around me and I rested my head against one of his biceps. It made a very good pillow until Stiles thumped on my door.

"Ami, are you coming?" he called through the barrier.

"Yeah, give me a minute to put my shoes on," I lied. I heard both boys head down the stairs and got up. "Are you going to follow?" I asked softly.

"Of course; I'm not leaving you out there with the Alpha still on the loose," he told me, moving to the window.

I don't stay to watch him leave; instead I tucked my phone in my jacket pocket and hurry out to the Jeep, where Stiles is waiting. He lets me climb into the backseat before he got in, and then we're walking through the Beacon Hills camp ground. "Stiles, where are we going?" I asked.

"Just follow me, Pixie," he called over his shoulder. Scott walked with his head down, and I realized why I was so nervous. Scott was giving off a really weird feeling.

"Where are we going?" Scott asked.

"You'll see," the other boy said leading us passed a closed building. I glanced up at the moon and shivered. For once, it wasn't bringing me any comfort. But when I looked into the trees and caught sight of the blue eyes, I relaxed.

"Look, we really shouldn't be out here. My mom is in constant state of freak out from what happened at the school," Scott protested.

"Well, your mom isn't the sheriff. There's no comparison, trust me," Stilinski replied.

"Will you please just tell me what we're doing out here?" the brunette snapped.

"Yes! When your best friend gets dumped…" Stiles started

"I didn't get dumped. We're taking a break," my brother corrected.

"Alright well, when your best friend gets told by his girlfriend that they're taking a break, you get your best friend drunk," my brother's best friend crowed. He held up a bottle of whiskey, and I sighed.

"How'd you not smell that? I could smell it in the car," I told Scott, sitting down on the rocks with my back against the one Scott sat on. I ignored them entirely as Stiles got completely wasted, and I noticed that my brother was drinking too. But he wasn't showing any signs of being drunk. "Thank god for werewolf metabolism," I murmured, scanning the trees.

I could hear somebody coming and sat up as Stiles reached for the bottle again. A bigger, black hand took the bottle, and Stiles dew back. "Well, look at the two little bitches getting a drink on," the black guy sneered down at Scott and Stiles. When he saw me, he corrected, "Oh, two little bitches and a little whore." I bristled at his words and hoped Derek was far enough away to not hear this.

"Give it back," Scott ordered. I glanced at him, hearing his scary voice, and tensed. This was not about to go well. I could feel eyes on my back and motioned for Derek to back off.

"What's that little man?" the black guy challenged.

"I think he wants a drink," the white side-kick dude leered.

"I want the bottle," Scott said in a low voice. I glared at the white guy, giving him my best Derek glare.

"Scott, maybe we should just go," Stiles suggested.

"You brought me here to get me drunk, Stiles. I'm not drunk yet," Scott told him. The black guy scoffed and took a swig of the Jack as Scott got to his feet. He went right up to the bully boy and said, "Give me the bottle." The black guy shook his head, a smug smirk on his face. Now I got to my feet and stepped up onto the rocks. Scott lowered his head, and the black guy's eyes went wide. "Give me the bottle of Jack," my brother ordered his voice thickening as his claws shifted out on the hand behind his back.

"Scott," Stiles warned, seeing the claws.

"I'd give him the bottle," I told the bully-boy and his lackey. Scared and moving slowly, the bully handed Scott the bottle, but Scott took it, and threw it against a tree. The glass bottle shattered, and I flinched at the sound.

"Let's go," Scott ordered, and I jumped down beside Stiles. I heaved him upright and ran after my brother, ignoring the looks on the guys' faces.

"Okay, please tell me that was because of the break up," Stiles requested as we walked towards the Jeep. "Or because tomorrow's the full moon." Scott yanked open the passenger door for Stiles, but I shot through first, climbing into the back as Stiles asked, "Going home now, yeah?" Scott nodded, and Stiles passed out into the seat.

When the alarm clock went off at seven, I just buried my head under the pillow as Mom came running in. The news, of course, was about the attack at the school and the hunt for the killer. "We should probably set this to buzzer," she sighed, sinking to a crouch beside the bed. "You guys alive in there?" she asked, pulling the blanket off Scott's head and the pillow off mine.

"No," we both groaned.

"Not ready to go back to school?" she realized.

"No," we chorused.

"Want to stay home another day?" she offered.

"No," we sighed.

"Want a brand new car?" she asked. When my head shot up and I guessed Scott had reacted, she said, "Me too," with a smile. I groaned, but Scott shoved the blankets off. That was my cue to disappear into my own room to get dressed. "This isn't just about what happened at the school, right? I mean, it's about what's-her-name? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as I slipped out.

"Not with you," Scott snapped, and I sighed. The full-moon effect was getting worse.

"Hey, I've been through a few break-ups myself you know, disastrous ones actually," she defended.

"I don't care about your break ups, Mom. I'm gonna get her back," he rebutted her, slamming the bathroom door.

When I joined her at the breakfast table, I was dressed in skinny jeans, low boots, and a simple white off the shoulder shirt with brown trim. My hair was tied up in a loose braid, and I knew if Derek saw me today he'd untie it. "Give him a few days, Mom. He'll be fine," I assured her.

She nodded and reached across the table to take my hand. "How do you manage this, Ami? How have you coped with everything and still be as amazing as you are?" she asked me.

"My foster mom used to tell me that as long as I have somebody to love; I have somebody to cope for," I murmured. She nodded, and I smiled at her. "It'll be okay, Mom," I added. I got up to hug her and she pulled me into her arms.

"Am I ever going to meet this Derek boy who keeps driving you?" she asked when I straightened.

"How about when you're not in your bathrobe," I teased, and she pursed her lips.

"Probably a good idea. We don't need to scare him off," she replied. I laughed and headed out the door, where I literally ran straight into a hard, unyielding wall of human flesh. I bounced off, and looked up to see Derek smirking at me. Glowering at him only made the smirk widen, so I walked passed him to slide into the Camaro.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Scott's starting to annoy me. I get the whole Alpha-ordeal is hard to deal with, and that Allison breaking up with him is making him unhappy, and that the full-moon is messing with him, but he doesn't have to be mean to our mother," I explained.

"Forget Scott for a minute, Ami. Are you okay?" he told me.

"No. No, I'm not okay. I'm terrified because a psycho-murdering monster wants to turn me into a werewolf. I'm exhausted because I can't sleep without you because every time I close my eyes, all I see are red eyes. I'm worried about Scott losing control and killing someone. I'm afraid the Hunters will come after you. I'm sick of pretending everything is normal when my life has literally gone to the wolves. I'm tired of feeling helpless when something happens. I'm so freaking far from okay that I don't even know what to do!" I told him. With my little rant over, I fell back against the seat and dropped my face into my hands.

"Breathe. Look, I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea, but maybe you could ask Argent to teach you to protect yourself," he suggested. I gave him an incredulous look and then considered it. As much as I hated Kate, I didn't really have a problem with Chris or Victoria. I nodded and tried to relax as we pulled into the school lot. He parked instead of just letting me get out, and turned to me in his seat. "I don't want you to be afraid, Ami, but I can't teach you to protect yourself. You're human. The best people to ask for lessons are humans whose entire history is hunting things like the Alpha," he told me.

"I'll go see Mr. Argent after practice," I decided, meeting his worried green eyes. He nodded and leaned over so he could press a kiss to my forehead before I got out. I was met by Danny, Jackson, and Lydia at the top of the stairs. Danny clearly knew it had been us, because he wrapped his arms around me the instant I reached him. I sighed longingly as I hugged him back, burying my face in his jacket. He felt so human, so normal, and I knew there was no way I was telling him the truth. I had to protect my friends from the other half of my life, the part I called my "night life."

I tried to ignore the whispers about the attack during the day, but that was easier said than done. I couldn't talk to Allison, since she was too wrapped up in the whole Scott issue. Lydia was back to being shallow, a sure sign she wasn't going to be willing to talk about the attack. Scott was being, well, full-moonish. Jackson was calm, but he had this look that made me shy away from talking with him. Danny didn't know what had actually happened, and I wasn't about to tell him. Derek was off doing whatever job he'd found. And I couldn't tell anyone else the real truth without looking crazy or getting my brothers killed.

So I was left sitting with Stiles outside the main office as we waited for his dad before Chemistry. When the Sheriff finally came out of the office, we got to our feet, and the Sheriff came over. "Don't you both have a test to get to?" he asked.

"What's going on?" Stiles asked. "Did you find the janitor's body yet?"

"I'm working on it," Mr. Stilinski assured him. "You go take your test," he suggested, glancing down at me as he did to include me in the order.

"Alright, Dad listen to me," Stiles started.

"Go!"

"This is really important. You have to be careful tonight, especially tonight," Stiles told him.

"Please, Mr. Stilinski, just be careful?" I asked softly.

"Stiles, I'm always careful. I will, Ami," Stiles' dad replied, looking between the two of us.

"Dad, you've never dealt with this kind of thing before, okay, at least not like this," Stiles pointed out.

"I know, which is why I brought in people who have; the State Detective," his dad assured us, looking over at the men waiting for him. The one in the suit caught my eye, and I knew instantly that he was a hunter. "Go take your test," he told us gently, realizing how concerned we were. Stiles sighed, and I quickly hugged Mr. Stilinski before I hurried after his son.

Sitting beside Danny and behind Lydia for our test, I should have been able to focus. Except the full moon seemed to be affecting me too. I could hear every little thing in the room, and I wasn't the only one. So I wasn't surprised when Scott bolted. I nodded to Stiles, and he ran after Scott. I went up to Mr. Harris, leaning down to whisper, "Sir, Scott, Stiles and I were in the school during the attack."

He looked up at me, the anger in his eyes fading instantly. I really wanted to swipe the pity of his face, but for now I needed to use it to my advantage. "Very well, Ms. McCall. Tell your brother he'll need to make the test up when he's ready," he told me. I nodded gratefully and returned to my seat to finish my own test. It took me the entire test period to finish, something that didn't normally happen, since every new little sound distracted me. When I handed in the test, I saw that Stiles had come back and already finished. But Scott wasn't there.

At lunch, I avoided everybody and escaped to the library with a bottle of water and a sandwich. There was a blonde girl I recognized sitting in the lounge area, and she started when I sat down opposite her. "Do you mind if I sit here?" I asked her softly. Her eyes were wide as she shook her head. "Thanks," I murmured, putting my bag down. "You're Erica Reyes right?" I asked. She nodded, her cheeks flushing as she looked away. "Hey, epilepsy is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm a foster care kid and adopted," I told her. She looked at me, her wide eyes a little less afraid, and I said, "If you're looking for a job, Mr. Roberts has an opening at the bookstore. It's a quiet job, and he lets you read all you want."

"Really? He'd hire me?" she asked, probably thinking I was pranking her.

"Sure. His son has epilepsy. He'd totally understand," I assured her. "Just come in and I'll talk to him for you. I need someone to share my hours because I'm taking classes afterschool, and I bet you'd be perfect at the bookstore," I explained.

"Thanks Ami," she murmured, and I smiled at her. We sat in companionable silence until the bell, and then parted ways. I liked Erica, but there was nothing I could do about her self-esteem. It didn't really surprise me that she knew my name, but I thought my knowledge of her's had shocked her.

When I got to the lacrosse field after school, Scott wasn't there yet. I moved down to sit behind Stiles and asked, "Where's Scott?"

"Talking to Lydia about me," he replied.

I groaned and whacked him upside the head before starting to climb the bleachers. And I would have made it to my favorite spot if Coach Finstock hadn't called me down. "Your brother is co-captain now. And you spend an awful lot of time here for a girl who doesn't play lacrosse," he told me.

"I played, Coach, I just haven't since I started working. And seriously, you made the two biggest rivals on the team the co-captains?" I replied. I was allowed to get away with some level of sass with him, well, with most of my teachers actually.

"So you get the sport, huh? Good girl. How about you keep the book for me?" he asked. I looked at him, surprised, and nodded. I went to all the practices and games anyway; I might as well do something while I was there. "That's my girl," he clapped me on the shoulder and sat me down on the end of the bench.

I was handed a score book and a play book by the assistant coach, who grinned at me welcomingly. I rifled through the books and looked up in time to see two of Jackson's buddies slam Scott down. "Focus, Scott," I muttered as he flipped back to his feet. Then he slammed Stiles back to go again. "Knock it off, Scott. You need to stay in control," I hissed. But then I noticed that Danny was in goal. "Shit! Scott, no!" I gasped as my brother knocked the two defenders away. And bashed Danny in the face.

"Danny!" I cried, launching myself off the bench. I ran across the grass as Jackson reached him and dropped to my knees. Once Jackson rolled him over, I lifted his head into my lap, regardless of the helmet. "Easy," I murmured, seeing the blood running down his face. "No, Jackson, don't," I murmured, noticing the blonde glare at my brother. I sat back as the trainer took Danny's helmet off and checked his eyes with the little flashlight.

"Is he okay?" Lydia asked from behind me.

"Yeah, looks like he just has a bloody nose," Jackson told her.

"What?" she asked.

"Your lipstick," the captain said, and I looked over my shoulder as she wiped at it.

"Wonder how that happened," she laughed it off, but I knew Jackson wasn't convinced.

"Get him up," the trainer told me, putting away his flashlight.

"Jackson, help me," I requested. I picked up my best friend's helmet, stick, and gloves as the third member of our trio lifted the taller boy up to stand on his feet. "Bring him to the bench," I told him. I ended up sitting with Danny through the rest of practice, checking his pulse and eyes like the trainer instructed, and drove him home. He didn't have a concussion, thank god, or I might have killed Scott. I was still furious with him, especially after having heard his conversation with Stiles.

On my way to talk to Mr. Argent, which was considerably closer to Danny's house than mine, I got a text from Stiles saying he was locking Scott up for the night. I sent back an assurance that I was staying out of the house tonight. When I knocked on the door, Allison's mom answered. "Hi, Mrs. Argent," I murmured.

"Sorry, sweetie, Allison went out to the sporting goods store for new archery equipment," she told me.

"Actually, I'm here to ask Mr. Argent for some help with something," I told her. Her eyebrows went up, but she let me in with a smile. "Thank you, ma'am," I murmured.

"Chris? Ami McCall is here to see you," she called into the garage.

"Ami," Mr. Argent greeted me gently. He knew I was friends with Allison, and that I'd been in the school that night. "What can I do for you?" he asked, sitting down opposite me in the living room.

"I'm not going to feign ignorance, sir. I know all about the werewolves and the hunters. I know about the Alpha killing people in town. And I know the Alpha was after Allison that night at the school," I told him, cutting to the chase.

"How is it you know all this?" he asked, straightening in surprise.

"I was raised by a family of werewolves," I replied. At his look, I explained, "Before Melissa McCall adopted me; I was in the foster care of the Hale family. I'm well aware of the fact that Derek is a werewolf, but I assure you, he's a Beta, not the Alpha. We don't know who the Alpha is."

"And you're coming to me because?" he asked.

"Because the Alpha has nearly bitten me twice. The first time, Derek showed up in time to drive him away. The second time, Stiles Stilinski distracted the Alpha. The point is, the Alpha can do things to me to render me helpless, and I don't like it. He can control me, shutting down my ability to react, but I'd like to at least stand a chance to stop him before it gets to that point," I said. I was surprised at how calm I was in a house of Hunters.

"When you say control, what do you mean?" Kate Argent asked, stepping into the room.

"I mean there's this voice in my head, like a Beta has to their Alpha, but I'm not a werewolf. It speaks to me in my head, with growls and snarls and howls, never words, whenever the Alpha is nearby. He used it to paralyze me and knock me out. If the Alpha gets close enough, this feeling in my stomach comes with him, and it hurts enough to send me to the ground. And when he used the power of an Alpha, he can force me to submit," I told her. She moved around to sit in a chair, and Mrs. Argent joined us, setting a plate of cookies on the coffee table. I took one, murmuring a thank you to her, and she smiled.

"You're sure you've never been bitten?" Kate asked me.

"I think I would know if I had, wouldn't I?" I replied. "If I was bitten, I'd either be a werewolf or dead."

"Except for the part where this Alpha has control over you like you're his Beta," Mr. Argent told me. "Is it possible you share some kind of parental bond with him?"

"I don't think so. My foster parents both died in the Hale fire. I know it's not Melissa. Scott's father was never my father," I assured him.

"What about your biological parents?" Kate asked.

"No one knows who they were," I answered, realizing it was a possibility. "And Derek and I have no idea who this Alpha is. We've never been able to catch him." I told her. "Look, I just wanted to know if there was some way you could help me. I don't want to be a werewolf, but if I can't protect myself from the Alpha, I'm going to be one very soon."

"We can help you, can't we Chris?" Victoria told me.

"I'd say so, but not tonight. And my daughter is not to know about any of this, understood?" Mr. Argent told me.

"Of course, sir. Thank you for the cookies, Mrs. Argent, they were delicious," I said, standing.

"Why don't you take some with you? I always seem to make too many," she told me, rising as well. Before I could protest, she'd placed some on a paper plate, covered it, and handed it to me.

Mr. Argent walked me to the door, where he said, "Come back Wednesday around five and we'll get started." I nodded and left with a thank you. The bookstore wasn't far away, and I figured it couldn't hurt to get to my shift a little early.

And of course something went wrong. My phone went off, signaling that Stiles was calling me. "What?" I asked.

"Scott got out," Stiles gasped.

"Shit. Okay, I'm taking care of it," I told him, hanging up.

Then I called Derek. "Ami? What's wrong?" he asked, not even bothering with a hello.

"Scott got loose. He's going after Allison. She's at the mall," I told him.

"Go home. I'm on it," he replied, and then the line went dead. Maybe that was where I'd learned the habit.

Shaking my head, I let myself into the bookstore and set the cookies on the coffee counter. Bandit greeted me happily, and I saw that Erica was curled up in one of the recliners with a book. "Hey, Erica," I said, moving over. She looked up, startled, and I smiled. The blonde offered a timid smile in reply, and I left to find Mr. Roberts. When I did find him, he was happy to meet Erica and let me share my hours with her. We arranged that Erica would come right after school and start at three. She'd stay until six, and then I'd take over and stay until close at nine. We also agreed to rotate the Saturday afternoon and evening shifts. I'd show the blonde around tomorrow and show her how to do inventory and ring up purchases during my shift.

When I got home, Scott was still gone. But a few minutes later, Derek was helping Scott into his room and dropping him on the bed. I stood at the door as Derek went to leave, but Scott said, "Wait." Derek turned back around, but not before I saw how concerned he was. "I can't do this," Scott told him. "I can't be this and be with Allison. I need you to tell me the truth. Is there a cure?"

"For someone who was bitten? I've heard of one, I don't know if it's true," Derek replied, surprising me. I'd never heard of a cure.

"Well, what is it?" my younger brother demanded.

"You have to kill the one that bit you," my older brother told him.

Scott's eyes widened, and I leaned against the door. 'God, this just gets worse and worse.'

"Kill the Alpha?" the smaller Beta exclaimed. When Derek nodded Scott reeled, unable to find something to say.

"Scott," Derek said, moving closer. Scott looked up, and the older wolf continued, "if you help me find him, I'll help you kill him." All Scott could do was nod, and Derek left. He caught my arm as he passed, pulling me down the stairs with him. "Did you talk to Argent?" he asked.

"He'll help me. We start Wednesday. He knows I know about you being a werewolf," I told him. He nodded and slipped out the door, which I locked behind him.

When I went back to Scott's room, he looked up at me and asked, "What did I do?"

As I recounted the past two days of his asshole-ness, his head dropped lower and lower. I finally knelt in front of him, taking his hands in mine and assured him, "Everything will be okay." But I didn't know if I was trying to convince him or myself.


	13. Wolf's Bane

**Author's Note: Anyone else feel like Harris has a huge secret?**

**Teresa-My original intent was to create a kind of bridge to the second season, and I didn't really like how Derek kind of came out of nowhere with Erica, Isaac, and Boyd. So, I'm fixing that. **

**Marine 76-I'm so ridiculously grateful for your continuous support!**

Chapter 13-Wolfsbane

"Faster?" Scott asked.

"Much faster," Stiles told him, looking out the back window. "Scott, I don't think you're grasping the concept of the car chase here," he added.

"If I go faster, I'll kill us," Scott protested.

"Well if you don't go faster, they'll gonna kill us," Stiles replied.

"I'll drive. Don't take your foot off the gas," I ordered, unbuckling. Once again, I thanked my luck for making me small and climbed into Scott's lap. I placed my foot over his and took the wheel. ""Slide back," I directed.

Slowly, he eased out from under me as I shifted into the next gear and flew away from Kate Argent's Kia. "How are you so much better at driving this than me?" he asked once he was safely in the passenger seat.

"I've driven it more," I told him shortly.

"They're gone," Stiles realized, turning on the walkie-talkie he'd taken from his dad. When I heard the Sheriff's voice, I accelerated into the Iron Works.

"Wait, there he is!" Scott cried, and I skidded to a halt. "Get in!" he yelled to Derek, throwing open the door before he dove into the backseat. I kept my foot firmly on the brake as I pressed down on the gas, making smoke rise from the back tires. Derek made a run for it as Chris Argent started shooting and leaped into the seat. I yanked my foot off the brake before he was even fully seated. "What part of laying low don't you understand?" Scott demanded.

"Damn it! I had him!" Derek shouted, slamming his hand on the dashboard.

"Who, the Alpha?" Stiles asked.

"Yes! He was right in front of me and the freaking police showed up!" the Beta snapped.

"Whoa, hey, they're just doing their jobs," Stiles protested.

Derek gave him a furious glare, and said, "Yeah, thanks to someone who decided to mention that you thought the killer looked like me!" He was glaring at Scott now, and I realized the police had questioned him for the incident at the school.

"Can we seriously get passed that? I made a dumb-ass mistake, I get it," Scott admitted.

"Especially because they were going to focus on my description until Allison mentioned what you'd said the first time!" I snapped at him, making him draw back.

"Alright!" Stiles yelled. "How did you find him?" he asked Derek. But the older wolf just scoffed.

"Can you try to trust us for at least half a second?" Scott suggested.

"Yeah, all of us," Stiles piped up, only to wither under Derek's look. "Or just Ami, I'll be back here," he conceded, sitting back.

"Just tell them," I sighed, slowing down a little bit.

"Look, the last time I talked to my sister, she was close to figuring something out. She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris," he told us all.

"Our Chemistry teacher?" Stiles demanded, leaning between the seats.

"That's why you were at the school. Harris was still there," I realized.

Derek nodded as Scott asked, "Why him?"

"I don't know yet," Derek snapped.

"What's the second?" I asked before Derek killed one of them in the car.

He pulled out a piece of paper, showing the boys a drawing as he said, "Some kind of symbol." I glanced at it and heard Scott sigh. I hit the steering wheel with the palm of one of my hands; I knew that drawing and I knew where I knew it from. "What? You know what this is?" Derek demanded.

"I've seen it on a necklace; Allison's necklace," Scott replied from the backseat. I was jostled as he slammed my seat angrily and swerved before quickly righting the car with a yelp.

"It's the Argent family crest," I explained to Derek. "Kate gave Allison the necklace for her birthday."

"One of you needs to get that necklace," he told us. We nodded and soon we were pulling into our driveway. Stiles' Jeep sat there waiting, and the boys were quick to scramble out of the Camaro once I got out. Stiles drove off without a word and Scott vanished into the house as Derek came around to the driver's side. He stood over me and said, "You drive like a Hale."

"Considering that Liam used to let me drive while sitting in his lap, I probably should," I quipped. He just shook his head and leaned down to rest his head on my shoulder. "I'll leave the window open for you," I murmured when he straightened. Then he slid into the Camaro and took off, and I watched the taillights fade into the night.

When I woke up to a soft sound, I smiled tiredly but didn't bother moving. Derek was quiet as he shed his shoes and jacket and curled up around me. I fell asleep easily, tucked under his chin with his arm draped over my waist. I didn't even need the blankets because he was so freaking warm. 'Stephanie Meyers got one thing right about werewolves,' I thought as I drifted off again.

The next day, I actually dared to hope that Scott and Stiles had a good plan, but of course, it failed epically. And then Jackson got involved, which only made my day ten times better. Not. Stiles came skidding over to my table during free period, and I knew it was bad. "Start with the worst news," I ordered, closing my English binder.

"Jackson knows about Scott. Scott made Allison run out of class by sending her pictures of them. Scott also saw Allison and Jackson in the pool together," he told me, dropping into the chair next to me.

"So, basically, Jackson is threatening to tell Allison about Scott and demanded the bite, Scott didn't get the necklace, and you're a complete moron?" I checked.

"Yep, that about sums it up. What about your little fairytale?" he replied.

"Jackson has aconite poisoning from the scratches on the back of his neck. Lydia is currently sitting in the girls' room fixing her makeup because Jackson dumped her. Oh, and I heard every word Jackson said at lunch. I've already slapped him six times today, I'm not doing it again until tomorrow," I told him simply, completely straight faced. "And I'm coming home with you today. I want to do some research and Scott won't let me use his laptop," I added on second thought.

"Meet me at the Jeep then," he took all of it in stride, and I was proud of my brother's friend. He'd actually listened to everything I'd said.

He disappeared, probably to find Scott, and I went back to my homework. Eventually, this really cute but painfully shy kid sat down across from me, and I looked up. "Hey, Isaac," I murmured.

"You-you know m-my name?" he stuttered, and I nodded.

"I'm not like most people who couldn't be bothered, Isaac. I actually care about the people around me, and you are in most of my classes," I assured him.

"Th-thanks Ami," he replied, offering me a tiny, shy smile. I grinned widely at him and passed over my list of vocabulary words. We fell to studying softly, tucked away in our little corner of the library. When the bell rang, I murmured a soft goodbye to Isaac and hurried to the locker I was no longer sharing with Jackson, thank god. I knew if I didn't beat Stiles to the Jeep, he would leave without me. I managed to climb into the passenger seat just before he pulled out, and I blamed it on the heels.

When we got to his house, I shed my shoes at the front door so I could run up the stairs after the skinny kid. He dropped his bag, sitting in front of his laptop, and I threw my bag on the bed. "Hey, Stiles, Ami," Mr. Stilinski called, making us both turn towards the door.

"Yo, D-Derek," Stiles replied, seeing the Beta hidden behind the door. Derek pointed at the door, indicating that Stiles needed to stop his dad before he came into the bedroom. Stiles ran for the door, pulling it closed as he leaned in the doorway. Snickering, I took the computer chair to look up aconite poisoning. Shaking my head as I listened to Stiles' oddness, I reflected again just how strange my life had gotten. Then I turned around to watch the spectacle as Stiles came back into the room.

Derek slammed the smaller boy against the door, and Derek got right in his face. "If you say one word," the werewolf threatened.

"What you mean like hey Dad, Derek Hale's in my room, bring your gun?" Stiles replied. Okay that I had to give him major brownie points for. Derek lowered his raised hand, but kept Stiles pinned to the door. "Yeah, that's right, if I'm harboring your fugitive ass, it's my house, my rules, buddy," Stiles told him, whacking Derek's shoulder. Derek looked down at the shoulder Stiles had hit, and I giggled. This was just too funny. Then my brother nodded and took a step back, straightening Stiles' shirt and jacket. Stiles returned the gesture, smirking, and went to walk around the taller male. Said male jerked his head at Stiles, who shied away with an, "Oh my god."

Behind Stiles' back, Derek winked at me, and I snorted trying not to laugh. Stiles lifted me out of the computer chair to drop me on the bed before he reclaimed the chair. "Scott didn't get the necklace?" Derek asked.

"No, he's still working on it," Stiles assured him. "But there's something else we can try." When Derek made a go on gesture, Stiles explained, "The night we were trapped at the school, Scott sent Allison a text asking her to meet him there."

"So?" Derek clearly had no recollection of the fact that Scott hadn't gotten his phone until the next day.

"So, Scott's phone was broken. You smashed it, remember?" I told him.

"So, it wasn't Scott," the human boy summarized.

"Can you find out who sent it?" the werewolf asked.

"No, not me, but I think I know somebody who can," my ADHD friend told us.

"You mean Danny don't you? And how do you plan on getting him over here?" I asked.

"We're lab-partners. I'll say I need help with the report," Stiles shrugged. I shrugged at Derek, who sighed and sat in the chair by the dresser. I spread the remainder of my homework on the floor, sitting criss-cross in the middle to work. But I was done by the time Danny got there, and had already stretched out across Stiles' bed to take a nap, using Derek's jacket as a pillow.

"You want me do to what?" Danny demanded. The volume of his voice startled me out of my nap, and I jerked against Derek's chest.

"Trace a text," Stiles repeated.

"I came here to do lab-work," my best friend protested. "That's what lap-partners do."

"And we will, once you trace the text," Stiles told him.

"And what makes you think I know how?" Danny challenged.

"I looked up your arrest report," Stiles answered. He at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"I was thirteen!" Danny protested. "They dropped the charges." He stared at Stiles, waiting for a response, and said, "No, we're doing lab work." I watched from the corner of my eye as Danny glanced at Derek as he sat down next to Stiles. "Who's he again?" he asked.

"Um, my cousin, Miguel," Stiles told him.

"Stiles you're a horrible liar. Danny, this is my brother Derek," I mumbled from the bed.

"Is that blood on his shirt?" Danny asked me.

"Seriously?" I muttered, lifting myself onto my elbows to look.

"Yeah, yes, he gets these horrible nose bleeds," Stiles told him. It was pretty obvious that Danny didn't believe it at all. "Hey, Derek, I thought I told you you could borrow one of my shirts," Stiles called over his shoulder. I snickered into my arm as Derek slammed the book shut, giving Stiles his ice eyes the entire time. He threw the book down next to me and stood, peeling off his shirt.

"Stiles," Derek said, turning to face the boys. I glanced up and my eyebrows went up. Derek looked like Liam; buff, sculpted, and shirtless.

"Yes?" the other boy asked.

"This no fit," Derek said through clenched teeth.

"Then try something else on," Stiles told him. I couldn't help it; I started giggling into the comforter when I saw Danny staring at Derek. And there went Stiles, not so subtly playing on my friend's weakness. "Hey, that one looks pretty good. What do you think Danny?"

"Huh?" Danny tried to pretend like he hadn't just been caught staring, but I was so not letting him live this down.

"The shirt?" Stiles asked, pointing at Derek. I looked up at my brother and burst out laughing. I couldn't help it, this was just too funny. The blue and orange looked so strange on the older boy. And Derek looked like he wanted to kill Stiles.

"It's not really his color," Danny replied, and Derek yanked the shirt off. I was laughing so hard tears ran down my face.

"You swing for a different team, but you still play ball, don't ya Danny-boy?" Stiles smirked.

"You're a horrible person," Danny told him.

"I know, it keeps me awake at night," I heard Stiles reply, and now I fell off the bed laughing. I lay on the floor, holding my stomach as Derek snapped at Stiles. Derek went back to emptying Stiles' dresser, and Danny gave in and traced the text.

"In my bag, Derek," I managed to tell my brother once I stopped laughing. He pulled out the green tee shirt I'd swiped from his duffel bag and then picked me up off the floor. He sat me down in his lap and I started messing with his hair, trying to fix it. When he stood to look over Danny's shoulder, I monkey-climbed onto his back, knowing he'd hardly feel my weight.

"There, the text was sent from a computer. This one," Danny told us, sitting back triumphantly.

"Registered to that account name?" Derek asked, making me lean over his shoulder to look at the screen.

"No, no, no, that can't be right," Stiles said, and I shook my head.

"My mom doesn't know how to do that," I told Derek, though something about it being from the hospital made me wonder. I dismissed it, climbing off Derek to sit on Danny's knee.

"Can we do lab work now?" Danny asked, and I got up to let them work. I settled on Derek's lap in the chair, and drifted off into a very complicated train of thought. Like everything tended to lately, it ended with the Alpha, and the four different nights I'd seen him. Derek could clearly feel my heartbeat rising, because he buried his face in my shoulder, cradling my head over his heart. I closed my eyes, my ear pressed against the steady beating, and breathed.

I must have dozed off, because when I woke up, Danny was gone and Stiles looked a little guilty. With a start, I realized we were in the Jeep, and I once again, had no shoes on. Stiles was on the phone, saying, "It looks just like the drawing."

Derek grabbed Stiles' wrist, pulling the phone over so he could talk to Scott. "Hey, is there something on the back of it? There's got to be something, an inscription, an opening, something," he asked Scott.

I leaned forward to hear Scott reply, "No, no the thing's flat, and no, it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it, nothing. And where are you? You're supposed to be here, you're first line." There was a pause and a voice that sounded like Coach before Scott added, "You're not gonna play if you're not here to start."

"Scott, we're coming. Relax," I called as Stiles pulled into the school parking lot.

"By the way, one more thing," Derek said, catching Stiles' attention.

"Yeah?" Stiles turned to look at him, and Derek slammed his head into the steering wheel. "God, what the hell was that for?" Stiles cried.

"You know what that was for. Go!" Derek told him. Stiles looked like he was going to argue, but Derek ordered, "GO!" I snickered, and realized I had been hanging around Scott and his friends way too often. I was starting to laugh like Stiles.

"Stiles!" I called as the boy got out of the Jeep. "We're borrowing the Jeep for a few minutes ok?"

"Just remember that she's not the Camaro," he called as he slammed the trunk shut.

"Don't worry, I'll drive," I assured him. He tossed me the keys and I scrambled into the driver's seat. As I pulled out of the parking lot Derek said, "You didn't tell him about your mom."

"Not until we find out the truth," I sighed, glancing at him. "Where are my shoes?" I asked. When he didn't reply, I snapped, "What is with boys and making me go everywhere barefoot?"

"It's the hospital, it's like the cleanest place in the whole city," Derek protested.

"Yeah, except taking away my focus of balance makes me trip over my own two feet. Ask anyone who has ever seen me fall; I always fall when I'm barefoot," I explained. He gave me a look, but I ignored him and parked in front of the long term care center. "I can't believe I'm going in there barefoot," I grumbled, getting out.

I didn't remember my mom telling me she'd gotten the night of for the game, so I searched the whole front end of the hospital. When I couldn't find her, I called Derek. "I can't find her," I told him. "I think she might be at the game."

"Ask for Jennifer she's been-," he told me

"-looking after your uncle, I know," I replied, rounding the corner to find Uncle Peter's door wide open. The bed was neatly made, the room perfectly bare, the wheelchair sitting inside the door. Empty. Like no one had ever used it. "Yeah, well, he's not here either," I told him.

"What?" Derek actually sounded shocked at this.

"He's not here, he's gone, Derek," I repeated, not liking the feeling I was getting in my stomach. A feeling I recognized quite well.

Derek was silent, then he cried, "Ami, get out of there right now! It's him, he's the Alpha! Get out!"

"I know," I gasped, staring at the scared face of Uncle Peter.

"Hello, my pretty little pup," Peter crooned, and I gulped.

I backed away, turning to start running only to slide to a stop as Jennifer said, "What are you doing here? Visiting hours are over."

"You." I realized, pointing at her, then pointed at Peter, "And him?" Then I looked back at her as it dawned on me. She wasn't just his nurse. "You're the one who sent the text from my mom's computer. And you called the police with the tip. Oh my…and he's the…oh my god you're gonna bite me." I paled, the knot in my stomach writhing like a pit of snakes.

Then Derek stepped in front of Jennifer, slamming his elbow back into her face. She went down, out cold. I stared at him, wide eyed and relieved. "That's not nice. She's my nurse," Peter said from behind me.

"She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people. Get out of the way," he ordered me.

"Shit," I whispered, dropping to the floor.

"I just wanted to talk to her, Derek. She is, after all, family," Peter protested. He moved closer, and I darted towards Derek. I kept to my hands and knees, trying to stay as small of a target as I could.

"She stopped being your family the day you killed our sister," Derek snarled as I scrambled towards him.

"You think I killed Laura on purpose? One of my own family?" Peter asked. Above me, Derek roared as I ducked behind his legs, and I knew he was shifted. He leaped off the counter, but Peter grabbed him by the front of his jacket and slammed him against the wall. With belied ease, Peter threw Derek against the opposite wall; breaking off the railing thing and dropping my brother to the ground in a cloud of plaster dust.

"Eep," I gasped, turning away. Except I was met with Jennifer's bloody face. I yelped and scrambled away, crawling towards the lobby. I couldn't hear what Derek and Peter were saying as they fought, and I knew it was thanks to whatever power Peter had over me as the Alpha. Derek hit the ground in front of me, rolling onto his stomach as he pinned me to the floor. "Derek," I gasped. "Get up!" I ordered, looking up at Peter frantically.

"Don't worry, my beauty," Peter crooned before turning his attention to Derek, who spit blood onto the floor. "Do you have any idea what it was like for me during those years? Slowly healing cell by cell, even more slowly coming back to consciousness. Yes, becoming an Alpha, taking that from Laura pushed me over a plateau in the healing process. I can't help that," he told my brother. As he spoke, a heavy weight settled in my head, freezing my spine so I couldn't move as Derek shoved me away and swung at Peter.

But Peter caught his hand and twisted, and I could hear bones breaking. Derek went down on one knee, crying out in pain as Peter continued, "I tried to tell you what was happening. I tried to warn you." Then he lifted Derek through the glass window on the reception desk.

I heard Derek hit the ground and managed to breathe, "Go, get out of here."

"Do you want to know why you'll make such a good wolf when I finally get the chance to turn you?" Peter asked, kneeling beside my prone body. I clenched my jaw, lifting myself against the weight forcing me down to meet his eyes. "There is it. The fire, the determination. You see, my fairy, I bit Scott because I wanted you," he told me.

"Why?" I managed to ask. My voice was so soft, but so angry, so betrayed, and I knew my eyes were burning with hatred. He'd killed my older sister, murdered three people in town, ruined my brother's life, and tormented all of my friends. All because of me.

Then he walked away, leaving me frozen and reeling on the ground as he said, "Because you belong to me. What Alpha doesn't want his daughter at his side?"


	14. Co-Captain

**Author's Note: I know, I know, I'm horrible for leaving you all on such a note! But hey, if it makes you review, I'm just gonna keep doing it. **** Oh, I'm so evil. I'm so sorry guys, but your reactions were so worth it.**

**Flowering birdies- I'm glad you didn't, because then it wouldn't have worked. Keep your reaction in mind when you read this chapter!**

**Marine 76-Yep **

**Sarah-Yep. That was the point **** I'm going with ten years to make my answers to your questions more logical. Simplest answer I'm giving you, because I don't want to spoil anything, is ignorance.**

**Teresa-aw thanks! You're so sweet! And of course I'm going to reply! You take the time to leave it; I'm going to let you know I saw it! **

Chapter 14-Co-Captain

I don't know how long it took Peter to convince Derek of his cause. I don't know when Derek came back for me. I don't know when I got to the boys' locker room at school. I don't know when Peter finally let up the pressure in my head and allowed me to think clearly. But when he did, I was laying on the shower floor at Derek's feet. The floor was wet, and my hair was splayed across the tiles, curling in the water.

I could hear Scott's voice above me, saying, "If they're holding me back from becoming a psychotic nut-job like you, I'm okay with that."

"Maybe you could try and see things from my perspective," Peter suggested. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was screaming at myself to get up. I was fighting to stop Peter from whatever he was doing to Scott. I was going to slap Derek back into his senses. But I couldn't; the majority of my brain was spinning endlessly. I thought it went something like,

"_He's your father!"_

"_He's a sick son-of-a-bitch!"_

"_Derek's your cousin, not your brother."_

"_He'll never be my father."_

"_Wait, then who's my mother?"_

"_Kate was right. That's where his power over me comes from."_

"_Does that mean he'll let me decide when to turn me?"_

"_**You say that like you want to be a werewolf!"**_

"_Do you want to be a werewolf?"_

My scream melded with Scott's and I became aware of the fact that we were alone again. "Ami?" Scott gasped his voice ragged and weak. He was lying on the tiles, wrapped only in a towel, but I didn't mind.

"I'm here, Scotty," I murmured, crawling over to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, lifting himself up onto his side to look down at me.

"Physically, yeah, I'm okay. Mentally, I will be once my brain shuts off. Emotionally, no, I won't be for a while. Peter is my biological father," I replied, burying my face into his shoulder. He sucked in a breath and I let out a sob. "My god, my father is a murdering werewolf monster!" Later, I would thank Scott's werewolf warmth for lulling me to sleep as I cried, because he was able to get dressed and get me home with Stiles' help.

I spent Wednesday out of school, having told my mom the truth. At least, I'd told her that Peter Hale was my biological father. She knew his medical situation; she knew the Hale story. She worked at the Hospital; she knew Peter Hale and his nurse had gone missing from the long term care center. So she let me sleep in Scott's room while he was at school. I was craving comfort, and since Derek had turned his back on me, all I had was Scott. Danny and Lydia couldn't know; they had to be kept safe. Jackson was being an ass, insisting on getting the bite. Stiles was not the right person to go to, since he was trying to figure out how the murders were connected. And Allison wasn't safe to talk to until she knew the truth about Scott, Derek, the Alpha, and her family. And all I had of Scott right now was his empty bed.

I was so tired of waking up in a new place. When I woke up the next time, I was curled up in a tiny ball on my mom's bed. She was running around her room, putting on jewelry while trying to do her makeup. "Mom," I rasped. "Sit down and do one thing at a time," I told her.

"Oh, you're awake. I didn't want to leave you here sleeping while I went out," she said.

"Where are you going?" I asked curiously. "You look amazing."

"Strangely enough, I'm going on a date," she told me, and I giggled tiredly. "Which reminds me, I need to go tell your brother that I'll be home late tonight," she added. I nodded and dropped my head back down into the nest of blankets I'd managed to make.

Vaguely I remembered Scott telling me he had to keep an eye on Jackson, so I checked my phone. I had a number of them, and I slumped down tiredly. One was Danny, sending a really sweet message to make sure I was ok. Stiles had warned me that Chris had approached Jackson, who was now determined to get the bite. Said idiot texted me that my brother was a freaking asshole. I quickly replied that Scott was not; Jackson was just too stubborn to realize Scott was trying to help him. Allison sent me a picture of a strange arrow-head, but I told her I'd never seen anything like it. She then responded with a picture of the damage the arrow had done to the tree. I told her she probably shouldn't be playing with it, in case something happened. But I was really trying to keep her from her from figuring out the truth.

I also had a number of emails from my teachers. They all said the same thing; besides an agenda for the classes I'd missed, there was the assurance that I'd already learned the lesson and done the work for it. So I didn't worry about that at all.

No, it was a text from Lydia that caught my attention and woke me up. _"Did you know Jackson asked Allison to the winter formal?" _

"_No, I thought Allison was going with you," _I replied.

"_Apparently not. You're still coming dress shopping with us though, right?" _

"_Yeah, I just have to swap shifts with Erica. Let me know what day we're going so I can tell Coach I can't make it to practice."_

"_Why do you have to go to practice again?"_

"_I keep the book, Lyd. I'm like a manager or whatever. Coach said he's getting me my own team sweatshirt. The store's gonna think he's crazy for taking such a tiny kid for the team."_

"_It' not like you're playing right?"_

"_No, but I wish I could."_

"_They'd kill you, you know that. That's why you stopped playing in the first place."_

"_I know, but I miss it. It reminds me of my foster brothers."_

"_Aw, sweetie. I'm sending a hug."_

"_Thanks. I needed one, even if it was through a cell phone."_

"_That's what I'm here for, Pixie."_

"_Believe me, Queen, I know. __" _with that, I shoved my phone in my pocket, smiling.

After the doorbell rang for the third time, and my mom started yelling for Scott to get the door, I gave up on falling back asleep. I staggered down the stairs, only to be caught by a horrified Scott. "I'll tell her," my brother threatened.

"That I used to be a catatonic invalid with burns covering half my face? Good luck with that," Peter Hale, aka miracle medical rep going on a date with my mother, replied.

"Fine, then I'll tell her you're my biological father," I hissed, and this time Peter looked a little hesitant.

"If you hurt her, if you even touch her," Scott told him.

"Scott, if I may interrupt your listing of the top five most impingent sounding threats, for a moment? Try and remember that I've been in a coma for six years, don't you think I'd like to have dinner with a beautiful woman?" Peter stopped him. I had to admit, that was a pretty valid argument, but it wasn't the one he was using.

"Just half a second, sorry," Mom called, running around in the back hall.

"Mom, it's on the kitchen counter," I called back to her.

"Or maybe you think I've come up with an idea. Like how it might be easier to convince you to be part of the pack if your mother is, too," Peter went on.

I snarled at him, stepping around Scott. "If you want Scott and me at your side so badly, turning my mother isn't going to gain you any favor. You've already ruined both of my brothers' lives," I growled at him. Scott pulled me back, shielding me behind his shoulder.

The humanized Alpha came in, forcing Scott and I to back away, and told us, "You need to understand how much more powerful we are together; the two of you, and me, and Derek." Then he turned his attention to Scott, asking, "Did you know that some of the most successful military operations during the Second World War were the German U-boat attacks? Do you know what they called them? Wolf packs. Did you know that? Or are you failing history as well?"

"I know the Germans lost the war," Scott snarled.

"I think you'll find that most historians would argue that as failure of leadership, and trust me, we don't have that problem here," Peter told him smugly.

"But we will. It's in the nature of every great power that rises to fall," I snapped softly.

"I'm ready, I'm ready, sorry again," Mom appeared at my elbow, kissing my cheek. She took Peter's offered arm, and I growled in the back of my throat.

They'd started down the walkway when Scott said, "Mom!"

She turned around, replying, "Yes? Sweethearts?" She gave us both her look, and I didn't know what to say.

"Have a good time," Scott managed to say.

"Not too late, mister," I added, making my mom smile. Then we had to watch our vulnerable, unsuspecting mother get in the car with a psychotic, murdering werewolf.

"Go, get dressed," Scott ordered. "Get Derek, he might listen to you" he added. I heard him talking to Allison as I swapped my sweats for jeans, shoved my feet into running sneakers, and zipped up a track jacket over my tank top. I fled out the door behind my brother, darting into the darkness of the woods. For once I wasn't afraid for myself; Peter couldn't hurt me if he was heading across town with my mom.

When the Hale house loomed out of the darkness, I stumbled, shocked. I was already there? Had I really run that fast without noticing? I chalked it up to anger and fear as I darted for the front door. Somebody was coming through the woods behind me, so I hid in the back of the house, under the stairs.

"Is it safe? I don't want rafters falling on my head," Jackson's voice reached me easily through the darkness and I felt my pounding heart stop.

"Go ahead," Derek sounded a little strange, like he used to when something bad was happening and he'd lied to me to keep me calm.

"What's in here?" Jackson asked, and I just wanted to yell in frustration. Why did all the bad stuff have to happen at the same time? Why was it that we could never deal with one thing at a time?

"Everything you want," Derek replied, and I understood. Jackson thought he was getting the bite. Then the door opened, and I heard Derek tell Jackson to trust him. The door closed, and I straightened slowly from my crouch.

"This house; it's the same house," Jackson realized.

"What did you say?" Derek asked, startled. I was too, but neither of them actually knew I was there. Well, Derek could probably smell me and hear my heartbeat. So, he was probably fully aware of the fact that I was there.

"I've dreamt about this place. I remember the staircase, I remember these walls, I remember everything," the younger boy told him.

"You've been here?" my brother demanded.

"No, never. I dreamt it," the blonde assured him. The hair on the back of my neck rose, and I knew I didn't have much time left. There was a pause, and Jackson realized, "There's no one else here." Derek must have given him some look, because my friend asked, "And no one else is coming?" My heart clenched; was Derek actually going to kill Jackson? I heard Derek's claws come out, and Jackson fell, probably onto the staircase as he tried to back away. "No, please, please don't, okay? I'll shut up. I'll never say another word again. I'll leave Scott alone. Please, you can't do this, please," my friend was openly scared now; he was crying as he spoke. "I don't deserve it," Jackson sobbed.

"I think you do," Derek told him.

"No!" Jackson protested.

"Look around you!" Derek shouted. "Wouldn't there be someone here trying to save you?" he asked. "There's no one here!"

"Yes, there is," I said calmly, stepping around the staircase into the front hallway.

"Ami," Jackson gasped, but I ignored him. I might be saving his life, but I was still furious with him.

"You don't get to do this! You can't kill him, not without killing me first," I snarled at my brother, wondering where this courage was coming from.

"Fine," he snarled back, grabbing me by the wrist and yanking me against his chest. I looked up at him, fury and betrayal burning in my eyes, and he threw me against the door behind him. "There's a reason. No one cares that you drive an expensive car. No one care that you have perfect hair," he told the boy sitting on the stairs. But I understood. I remembered a time when Derek had been a lot like Jackson, arrogant and rude, until someone he'd met had changed all that. But Derek hated who he'd been, and he hated Jackson for being the same way. "And no one cares that you're the captain of the lacrosse team," he added, furious.

"Excuse me? Co-captain," Scott corrected from the top of the stairs. Then my younger brother leaped off the stairs, landing in front of Jackson, fully shifted. He looked over his shoulder at the other captain, who gasped, and I scrambled out the door.

"Jackson, go!" I shouted, but it was drowned out by Derek's roar as he shifted. I rolled to my feet in the yard, crouching, and looked up.

Kate Argent stood over me, a triumphant smirk on her face. "Well, well, well, I guess the training with my brother is paying off," she sneered at me, firing a crossbow through the window of the house.

"Cover your eyes!" I heard Derek yell, and I dove away from Kate as the hunters around her opened fire on my old home. I snarled, drawing two knives Chris had taught me to conceal at my waist. But Kate just laughed and turned her attention to the house. A big, brutal looking man approached me, and I leaped away, dancing around him the way Chris had been teaching me.

But a roar from the house distracted me, and I saw Derek charge onto the porch. "Derek, no!" I screamed, flinging one of my knives into the shoulder of a hunter aiming at him. Upon seeing me, Derek hurled himself into the line of hunters, sending them flying as he placed himself in front of me. But Kate had her tazer, and one shock from it sent Derek to the ground. The hunters who could still move over-powered him, snapping iron cuffs closed around both his wrists and ankles. And with him down, I was left with only a single blade to fend off Kate.

After seeing what the tazer had done to my brother, who could heal from its effects, I knew it was my biggest threat. "If you can't eliminate it, then neutralize the biggest threat first, Ami," Chris had told me. So I threw the knife, watching it rip the tazer out of Kate's hand, and grinned at her savagely. I was still grinning when something slammed into the back of my head, sending me to my knees as blackness washed up in front of my eyes.

Kate's voice woke me, and I found myself lying on a wet cement floor, propped against a beam of some kind. I was tied with my hands stretched above my head, and when I titled my head back to look, Derek was there. My brother looked down at me, and I saw the wires taped to his shirtless side. He was standing, shackled with his hands above his head in chains and thick cuffs. "Derek?" I murmured feeling blood matted on the back of my head. He was shifted, and I could smell Wolfsbane somewhere in the room. I pulled at my hands, but only succeeded in making myself bite my lip in pain.

"Ami, keep quiet, okay? No matter what they do, just keep quiet," he whispered to me. "I'm so sorry."

"I chose to fight back, Derek. I wouldn't be a Hale if I hadn't," I murmured.

Then a door in the front of the room opened, and Kate walked in. She went to a light sitting on the table, and looked over her shoulder. A second girl appeared out of the gloom, and I instantly dropped my head, hoping my hair would hide my face. Kate turned on the light and Derek roared above me. I heard Allison gasp, and Kate asked, "Isn't he beautiful?"

Derek snarled at her, then turned towards Allison and roared. I could feel the blackness coming back, and closed my eyes, focusing only on my last thought. 'I'm so sorry, Scott. I'm so sorry.'


	15. Formality

**Author's Note: God, Kate is such a bitch! (Sorry) And, I have no way of going through the events of the dance, since I actually need Ami missing the dance for a later rant, so I'm sorry if you were hoping for it!**

**Sarah- No, you didn't misunderstand. He didn't know. And yeah, it's supposed to be weird, except she knew it wasn't a date. And no, not until Peter told them both at the hospital.**

Chapter 15-Formality

My state of unconsciousness didn't last very long. Kate shocked me awake, and I realized I was hooked up to the same conductor as Derek. I glared up at her only to see Allison standing over me, horrified. "What are you doing? She's my friend!" the brunette gasped as electricity arced through my body.

I screamed while above me, Derek did the same. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I bowed my head forward, not wanting to see my brother had he was forced in and out of shifts. "Is it gonna kill him?" Allison asked.

"Oh, come on kiddo, don't get all epic on me now," Kate protested. I sobbed as Derek screamed, trying to reach for him but knowing I couldn't.

"What is he?" my friend asked.

"Shape-shifter, lycon, werewolf," Kate laughed. "To me he's just another dumb animal." Then she got up and moved closer, and I flinched away. "Come here," she ordered Allison, parting Derek' lips as I looked up. "See this right here? These are canines, also known as fangs, made for the tearing and rending of flesh. Not something you find on those cute leaf-eating herbivores, is it?"

"Is this a joke to you?" Allison demanded.

"Sweetheart, there are werewolves running around in the world. Everything's a joke to me. How else do you think I stay sane?" her aunt replied.

"So, it was him at the high school and all the other animal attacks?" Allison asked, afraid she'd been wrong.

"There's actually three of them. Another younger one, like him, called a Beta. Your little friend down there is a half-breed, a mutt. One of her parents was human. Her other parent is the Alpha. The Alpha is the pack-leader, bigger, stronger, and nastier. Those are the real ugly ones," Kate explained to her walking her out. I looked after Allison, wondering how we were ever going to be around each other again if I survived this.

Ami's dream (Scott POV)

_When I woke up in the examining room at the clinic, I looked around wildly, seeking my sister. When I couldn't see her, I rolled off the table only to have my knees buckle under me. "Welcome back to the land of the conscious," my boss said, catching me gently. "Doing okay?" he asked as he braced me with one hand on my chest. I looked up tiredly, and he suggested, "Maybe you should sit down, huh?" I nodded, touching the bandage on my ribs as the front door rang. "Hello?" the vet called. But when there was no answer, I sniffed at the air. _

_I knew that scent. And I knew it as much as I hated it. Deaton started to walk by, to go check it out, and I grabbed his arm. I hoped my eyes explained my concern, and he covered my hand with his reassuringly. He smiled, noting my protectiveness of him, and headed out front. "I'm sorry, but we're…" he trailed off for a minute, seeing Peter standing in the doorway, then finished, "We're closed."_

"_Hi there, I'm here to pick up," the Alpha explained, his voice making my lip curl in a snarl. _

"_I'm not sure I remember you dropping off," my boss replied, his voice cold now. _

"_This one wandered in on its own. And I was wondering if you'd seen another one, probably wounded, female, and small. She's missing," Peter told him. This made my pulse quicken. 'How could he not know where Ami was? What did he mean my sister was wounded? And why wasn't he mentioning Derek?' I thought as I crouched in the far corner of the room._

"_Even if it did, I can't help you, we're closed. And I'm sorry, but I haven't picked up any strays for a few days," Doc answered calmly. _

"_Oh, I think you can make an exception this one time," Peter suggested. "Don't you?" he was clearly used to intimidating people, but Deaton was standing up to him well. _

"_I'm sorry, that's not going to be possible," the older man replied. Was he really standing up to the Alpha just for me? I mean, yeah, I loved my boss, even saw him like the wise uncle of the family, but this, this was suicidal. "Maybe you could come back during regular hours," Deaton suggested, fully knowing Peter wouldn't. _

"_You have something of mine," Peter finally dropped the nice guy act as he said; "I'm here to collect it."_

"_Like I said," Deaton replied, taking a step forward. I begged him silently to back up, to not get any closer to the insane Alpha. "We're closed." _

'_Damn, here he comes,' I thought, pulling back closer to the wall. I heard Peter shift his weight to step forward, which would bring him through the gate. But there was a kind of sizzling sound, and he stopped. His claws raked the gate and he said, "Mountain ash. That's an old one." Then something slammed against the wall, and I sucked in a breath. _

_Now I was really wondering if Deaton was trying to get himself killed. "Let me be as clear as possible. We are closed," he told Peter, his voice very different from what I usually heard. It was low, cold, and threatening. Where had this guy been when Derek had kidnapped him?_

_Peter turned away, then murmured, "There are others who can help me get what I want, Scott. More innocent and far more vulnerable." _

_I knew the threat, but it took me a minute to realize he meant, "Allison." Then the Alpha left, the bell jingling, and I leaped up, scrambling into the spare shirt Doc kept for me in his office. "Thank you, I promise I'll be better when I get this all sorted," I told my boss, hurrying out the door._

"_Sit," he ordered me gently. He handed me the office phone and said, "Call Stiles. I don't want to be re-bandaging that because you ran home." I smiled wryly up at him, leaning against the wall as I called my best friend. Stiles got there in a few minutes, his Jeep surprisingly okay after we'd crashed into my mom and Peter. _

_When I got home, and realized I couldn't find my phone, I had Stiles call it as I ripped apart my room. "Call it again," I begged. _

"_It's not here," Stiles replied, having called it six times already. I dropped to the floor to look under my bed as he continued, "So you lost your phone, why don't you just get a new one?"_

"_I can't afford a new one," I told him. He should know that, since I used my upgrade after Derek smashed my last phone. Oh, so that's where those shoes went? "And I can't do this alone. We have to find Derek."_

"_Well, A, you're not alone, you've got me! And B, didn't you say Derek walked into gunfire. He sounds pretty dead."_

"_Except Ami's missing, and she was there that night. Plus, Argent's plan was to use Derek to get to the Alpha. They're not gonna kill him," I told him, standing in the bathroom doorway. The bathroom was a sure sign Ami hadn't been home in a couple of days. My clothes were strewn all over the floor, and she always made me pick them up, saying she didn't want her first sight in the morning to be my boxers._

"_Alright, then just let them do what they're planning," he suggested. "They use Derek to get to Peter, keeping Ami alive and safe in the meantime, problem solved." _

"_Not if Peter's going after Allison to find Derek," I protested. "I can't protect her on my own and look for Ami, which means we need to find Derek first." I was scrambling through my computer games, hoping, but knowing my phone wasn't there. "Just help me," I pleaded, throwing a ball at his head. _

"_You probably lost it when you two were fighting," he said as I went through the shelves on my desk. "Do you remember that; when he was trying to kill you after you stopped him from killing Ami after she interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Are you starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here?"_

"_He wasn't going to kill anyone," I insisted, "And I'm not letting him die."_

"_Could you at least think about letting him die? For me?" he pleaded._

"_I can't. He tried to help me, and he's kept Ami safe, and he's the only one who can find her!" I told him, only to be brought up short by the sound of worn old brakes. My head snapped up, recognizing the sound of Mom's car._

"_What?" Stiles asked, still sitting on my computer chair._

"_My mom just got home from work," I sighed. As I listened to her leaving a message, guilt settled lower and lower in my stomach. I wanted to tell her the truth, why Stiles had ruined her date that wasn't a date. But I couldn't even tell her that Ami was missing._

"_She okay?" my best friend asked. I knew he really liked my mom, and considered her a motherly figure in his life after losing his own mother. I hoped he knew I felt the same way about his dad as I shook my head. "What's she doing?"_

"_Crying," I admitted, moving to sit on the bed. _

"_Scott, you can't protect everyone," he tried to tell me._

"_I have to," I told him, because if I didn't protect him, Ami, Mom, Allison, Jackson, hell, even Lydia, who would?_

When I woke up next, all I wanted to know was what day it was. I just wanted to know how long I had until I was reported missing. I just needed to know if I was ever going to be a normal teenage girl and go dress shopping for the winter formal that I still didn't have a date for. Groaning as my muscles convulsed again, I let out the sob I'd been fighting back and realized just how much I hurt. "Why? I asked Derek, my voice raspy and hoarse from the screaming and dehydration.

I wasn't expecting him to answer me, seeing how low his head hung. "She thinks you're a mix, that you can be forced through the shift. Once you do shift, she'll have reason enough for holding you. She'll say your eyes are blue to give Chris a reason for her killing both of us," he managed to tell me.

"But I'm human," I whispered, my fear finally escaping. She was going to keep torturing me until she reached a stopping point that I didn't have.

"Not entirely. If the Alpha is your father, then you're really half wolf. The human gene was dominant enough to repress the shift, but now that your father is an Alpha, he can force you to change. See, sweetie, there's two ways for a mutt to become a wolf. Either an Alpha bites you again, risking a complete rejection of the change and killing you or your sire becomes an Alpha and forces you to change," Kate explained to me, crouching in front of me as she returned. She cupped my chin in her fingers, her nails digging into my skin, and I met her eyes. "And you don't want to be a werewolf, do you, sweetheart?"

"Leave her alone," Derek snapped.

"So why don't you be a good girl and tell me who the Alpha is. You might even be able to save your big brother if you do," Kate coaxed. I stared at her, blinking. I wasn't really hearing her anymore.

"Ami, don't," Derek ordered.

"Oh, tired are we?" Kate asked, letting go off me as she stood. My head dropped, my chin hitting my chest, and I felt my hair fall over my face. I couldn't look up as Kate went through Derek's wallet and both of our jackets and phones. "Come on, Derek, he killed your sister. You know, either you're not telling me because you want to kill him yourself or for some reason you're protecting him," she said, back to the business at hand. I didn't like either of those options. If Derek wanted to kill Peter, he wanted to be the Alpha. If he was protecting Peter that meant Peter was his Alpha.

Her laugh did make me raise my head enough to see that she had his license and was holding it next to Derek's face. "Look at that sour face," she crooned, lifting Derek's chin the way she had mine. "I bet you always used to get people coming up to you saying, 'smile, Derek, why don't you smile more?' Don't you just wanna kick those people in the face?"

"I can think of one," he told her, and I'd never been more relieved to hear his sarcasm.

"Promise? Because if I thought you'd be that much fun, I'll let you go," she replied. With a sigh when she got no answer the huntress moved back over to the table and picked up Derek's phone. "Alright, let's see, nothing, nothing, nothing, god I hate this detective crap," she muttered.

But I was leaning my head back to look up at Derek, who seemed to be getting stronger. But I knew he was tired when he asked, "Are you gonna torture me or talk me to death, huh?"

"Oh, sweetie, I don't want to torture you, I just want to catch up," she said with a smile. I felt my eyes widen and dropped my head back onto my knees, wishing I could turn off my hearing. "Remember all the fun we had together?" Kate asked.

"Don't respond, don't respond, don't give her anything," I breathed, not liking at all where this was going.

And he didn't listen, shocker. "Like the time you burned my family alive?" he snarled. I jerked against my ties, my teeth biting into my thigh to keep from making any kind of noise.

Of course it had been Kate. Derek had loved her.

Said manipulative bitch laughed and told him, "You know, I was thinking more about the hot crazy sex we had." I blanched, really not wanting to hear this, but having to know all the same. "But the fire thing, yeah, that was fun too," she added, openly admitting to the fact that it had been her to set the fire that took my entire family when I was ten. Derek lunged, but was brought up short by the manacles around his wrists. I snarled against my leg, but Kate was a little distracted tormenting my brother. "I love how much you hate me," she said, "remember how this felt?"

'_My god, did she just lick him?' _I gagged as Derek roared, gnashing his fangs in her face.

"Sweetheart, I really don't want to torture you," Kate said as Derek gasped, forcing himself to shift back. Then the door rolled open and I looked up through my hair. "But he does," she told us, walking out.

The man walked up, kneeling beside me first. He lifted my chin in far rougher fingers than Kate and I met his eyes blankly. "Well aren't you a pretty little thing? Don't tell me you've got the whole Beauty and a Beast thing going on here?" he leered in my face. I jerked as far forward as I could to snap my teeth at his wrist, but he yanked his hand back so all I caught was sleeve. Spitting it out, I glared up at him and he slapped me so my head snapped to the side, knocking me out with ease.

"_You want me to take her to the formal?" Jackson repeated, shaking his head at Stiles' weirdness. I didn't blame him for that, since I was giving Stiles a look too._

"_I don't want you to, I need you to," I corrected._

"_Screw you. You know what, screw you too. In fact, screw each other," Jackson replied, but he hadn't walked away yet._

"_Hey, you know he saved your life, right?" Stiles asked._

"_He left me for dead," Jackson corrected._

"_I got shot for you," I protested._

"_Oh yeah, show me the bullet wound," the blonde demanded._

"_You know it healed," I admitted._

"_Convenient. By the way, where's your sister? She's got my homework," my co-captain asked._

"_Missing, because she went to that house and stood up to her older brother to save you from your own idiocy. We think a hunter has both of them. Look, just do it for Allison," I replied. I put emphasis on the fact that Ami was missing because of him, and knew that had gotten a reaction. "Okay, she's in serious danger; I'm talking around the clock danger, and she needs someone to keep an eye on her at the dance," I told him. _

"_Just have her dad do it, okay? He's the one actually equipped to handle this," the mule suggested, revealing how much he actually did pay attention. _

"_How am I supposed to do that and keep him from finding out about me?" I demanded, like I hadn't already thought of that one._

"_Not my problem," he sneered, glancing at Stiles. When he went to walk by, I slammed my arm on his locker, stopping him quite effectively. I was rather proud that I could do this to him now, as payback for the beginning of the season._

"_You're her friend too. You are. All that time that you spent with her to get to me; you can't tell me you didn't get to know her and like her. It's Allison, it's impossible not to like her!" I told him. He raised an eyebrow, and I took it as agreement and pushed on, "You can't tell me that you don't care if she gets hurt."_

"_What if I get hurt?" he asked._

_I knew he wanted me to tell him he wouldn't, but I wasn't lying to him. "Then it's worth it," I told him._

"_Not to me," he snapped, pushing us out of the way. _

"_Well, I shouldn't say I told you so," Stiles started, "because it's not strong enough. How about I'm always right and you should listen to what I say and never disagree ever, ever, for the sake of your wolflihood?"_

_I ignored him, determined to make this work. Clenching my jaw as I tried to hold my temper, I had an idea. Jackson had seen me shift. And he'd been terrified…"I'm not done," I told Stiles._

"_You're not done?" he repeated as I walked around the lockers after Jackson._

"_One more thing," I said, making the blonde turn around with a sigh. I growled, letting my eyes and fangs shift through. Jackson panicked, throwing himself against the door as I took a single step forward._

_In the hallway by Allison's locker, Stiles and I watched from the corner as Jackson made plans to pick Allison up. The blonde looked over, and the smile dropped off his face before Allison made him laugh again. "Hey don't worry, I'll still be there," Stiles assured me._

"_I'm still going," I told him._

"_Is that such a good idea? Do you even have a date?" he asked._

"_I'll bring Ami if we find her in time," I decided, since I needed to spend more time with my sister anyway. Plus I could keep her safe that way._

"_Do you have a suit?" he pressed._

"_Not yet," I admitted._

"_Do you have a ticket to the formal?" _

"_Not yet," I sighed, realizing how woefully unprepared I was for this stupid dance. _

"_A ride there?"_

_Sighing as I pulled back against the wall to face him, I told him, "No and no,"_

"_So you're going to ride your bike to a dance that you're not even allowed to go to without a date, suit, or a way in, with werewolves and werewolf hunters all out to kill your little werewolf ass?" when he summed it up like that, I just had to smile._

"_Yeah. Gonna help me?" I asked._

"_Hell yeah," he assured me without hesitating. I laughed as he threw his arm around my shoulders and led me down the hallway. _

Ami POV

When Kate came back in a new outfit, I guessed it was now Thursday. This meant that unless no one had noticed, I was officially missing. I didn't have the energy to look up now, since I was painfully aware of the fact that I wasn't a werewolf and couldn't heal. Kate sat in the wood chair by the generator thing, listening to a message from Chris.

Though my body was shutting down, my mind was still working fine, and it was easy to realize that Kate hadn't authorized that strike with Chris or Victoria. Which meant no one knew where we were. As I sat there, wondering idly if Chris would have been proud of the way I'd fought, I tried to lick my cracking lips with a sand-paper tongue. There was no doubt I was in worse condition that Derek. He might have been getting a rougher treatment, but I wasn't healing at all.

"Unfortunately, Derek, if you're not gonna talk, I'm gonna have to kill you both. So say hi to your sister for me," she decided, reaching for the dial that would turn on the electrical charges again. I knew if she left it high enough, for long enough, my body would just stop working. And I didn't think Derek could heal fast enough to wait for the battery to die. "You didn't tell her about me, didn't you? The truth about the fire? Or did you?" she asked. Then she got up, drawing an excited breath, and whispered, "Did you tell anybody?"

But Derek didn't reply. I turned my head to the side; it was all I could do to look at him, and felt him turn his eyes on me. "Oh, sweetie, that's just a lot of guilt to keep buried," she crooned. "It's not all your fault," she started, and I felt him look away from me. I sagged, my head falling onto my shoulder, so that I was able to see his feet. "You got tricked by a pretty face," she laughed. "It happens. Handsome young werewolf mistakenly falls in love with a super hot girl who comes from a family that kills werewolves," she laughed at the end, and I wished I were strong enough to have put my blade in her heart that night at the Hale house.

"Is that ironic?" she asked. "Is it ironic that you're inadvertently helping me take down the rest of the pack, _again?_" Her laugh was really starting to make me mad, but that was okay, because it was focusing my mind, bringing me out of my torture induced stupor. "Or just a little bit of history repeating?" she asked, moving over to the box that would kill us. I could feel Derek's guilt as he looked at me, and I tried to force my head back. But I couldn't. "History repeating," she murmured thoughtfully.

Then she stopped my heart with the words, "It's not Jackson, is it? Oh, no, no, no, he's got a little scratch on the back of his neck, but he's not in love with Allison. Not like Scott."

When she turned to me, she drew a knife and cut through the rope holding me up. "You'll be dead by tomorrow night anyway," she laughed, stalking out.

I collapsed, my freed hands falling into my lap as I fell over sideways into a puddle. I was shaking, instinctively curling in on myself as my hair fell around me in the water like an inky cloud. "Ami, roll over, please," Derek said softly, but I couldn't find the strength.

'_What's the point? She's going after Scott,'_ my body whispered, urging me to just give in, close my eyes, and never open them again.

"Ami, please, you have to look at me," he whispered.

'_I'm dying, Derek. Let me die in peace.'_

"Ami Hale, look at me!" he growled, and I flinched.

'_Ami Hale…Hales do not give up. Hales do not go down without a fight,'_ my heart realized, and I opened my eyes. I did it slowly, but I managed to push myself over onto my back. My head fell onto his foot and I sighed. He was still warm. Even in soaked jeans after however many days of torture, he was warm. "Hale…" I breathed, and he nodded.

"Always," he assured me.

I looked up to meet his eyes and managed to say, "Not alone."

"No, Ami, you'll never be alone," he promised.

"No…you. Not…alone," I told him, and I realized I'd forgiven him. "Love you," I sighed, closing my eyes as I drifted off into the welcoming arms of nothing.

_I was sitting in the woods, perched on a rock. There was an almost full moon and fog, but I was clam. Derek was sitting on the ground beside my rock, looking up at me. His eyes, god his eyes. They were so full of emotion that I reached down and touched his cheek. My hand looked so delicate against his face, like the hand of a tiny fairy. "I'm so sorry, Ami. So, so sorry. You were supposed to be safe, Pixie. She killed everyone and drove the rest out. You would have been the last Hale in Beacon Hills. You would have been innocent, and let the past rest," he told me. He was begging me to forgive him, but there was nothing to forgive him for. _

"_Derek, what was I supposed to do? Hide behind the name of my new brother and mother? Someone would have asked eventually. They would have figured out I was in the fire. Somebody would have figured out Liam threw me out the window as he burned," I replied. _

_The scene shifted so that I was alone, but I knew I wasn't really. I could hear a woman's voice singing, in a language that sounded like Gaelic. As I sang alone, I realized it was a song about some sort of spirit and an ancient tree. "Who are you? Are you my mother?" I called into the wind, but the voice just kept on singing._

_Then I was standing on the lacrosse field, and Lydia was lying there, bleeding. Jackson was running towards her, screaming her name, and when I fell beside my best friends, my hands passed right through her. _And I woke up, bolting upright, gasping for breath as pain laced through every bone in my body. I rolled over, seeking my reflection in the water on the floor, and stared.

My face was pale and stained with tear tracks and a line of blood. My eyes were wide and sunken into my face. Bruise colored bags hung under my eyes. Spots of blood flecked my white lips as I licked them. But as I grew angrier and angrier, and felt the pressure of the Alpha's power in my head, I locked eyes with my reflection. Slowly my eyes glowed, turning yellow, and then an even stranger thing happened.

My werewolf eyes turned brilliant purple.

I jerked back, falling against Derek with a groan and looked up at him. His eyes widened and I used the puddle to shift back. "That's all I can do," I realized, my voice barely above a raspy breath.

"She was right. The Alpha can force it on you," he told me.

I nodded and said, "Except he won't get the chance after tonight. Because if the Argents or you don't kill him, I will."


	16. Code Breaker

**Author's Note: Okay, wow, this is awesome! This is the last chapter for season 1! Only 2 seasons lefts! Think I'll finish before 3b comes out in January? Btw, everything in italics is happening in Ami's head. If it's in a single quote, it's Ami's thoughts.**

**Flowering birdies-You'll learn, don't worry.**

**Teresa-Probably**

**Marine-Thanks!**

**Andrea-Half. She's what Derek calls a mix, and Kate, meanly, calls a mutt. She can't fully shift, only her eyes, but she was born with wolf hearing.**

**Sarah-She hates Peter, much like how Scott and Stiles feel. She's perfectly willing for Derek or Argent to kill him, but she'll do it if she gets the chance. And no, you'll understand eventually.**

Chapter 16-Code Breaker

'_Had Kate known the whole time? Did she know that I would have a connection to the Alpha that was twice as strong as Scott's? Had that been her plan? And why was I getting these dreams?'_

Sighing as I leaned against Derek's leg, still too weak to rise, I tilted my head back to look at him. His head was bowed, but he didn't look like he was in pain anymore. Which meant he was healing, and he would be strong enough to break free. Hopefully before Kate came back to kill us. As I sat there, harsh emotions hit me. Images came with them, and I closed my eyes to focus on them.

_Heartbreak. Allison had seen me change. Rage. Peter was ruining everything that had finally gone right. Fear. Chris knew I was the second Beta. _

_Terror. The girl I love was bleeding out in my arms._

_Loathing. The girl I've loved since third grade was dying right now and I was helping her attacker. _

_Triumph. I finally had a way to get Derek back._

_Fury. My own sister had done this to my daughter, my baby girl, and she just sat there egging me on. Confusion. She had a motive and I wanted to know what it was. Decision. She was leaving, and she was taking Allison with her so I could clean up her mess._

_Worry. Were my own parents going to treat Scott the way Kate had held Derek and Ami? Guilt. Ami was probably dead and no one even knew she was missing. Horror. My boyfriend was a monster. Resolution. Scott was not a monster; the Alpha was._

_Indignation. He couldn't send me away like this. He needed me to catch the Alpha. I'd already caught one and a half of them._

_Horror. That was his nurse, and she was definitely dead. Disgust. He was now holding the laptop case that had been up against a decaying body. _

_Heartbreak. I'd tried. I'd tired to explain to Allison and now everything was ruined._

_Confusion. How could that smile and those words come from the same boy who became a werewolf?_

_Determination. Derek was alive. I had to find him. And he was going to help me end this. Realization. There was more to Peter's motive than we'd thought._

_Pain. Why did werewolves love to slam fragile humans?_

_Worry. She had to be okay. My beautiful, amazing princess had to be okay. Indignation. This wasn't my fault!_

_Fear. He was going to kill people and I was helping him. Anger. He was manipulating my best friend into killing people. _

_Determination. I was going to find them._

A howl I'd only heard once before reached my ears, and I jerked upright against Derek's leg. "Scott!" I gasped, looking up at my brother. "He's looking for us!"

"Then let's help him," he growled, his jaw clenching as he lowered his head. I watched his eyes shift to blue, and then he threw back his head. His howl shook the basement, and I smiled. Scott would find us now.

It took a few minutes, but I heard the door slide open and looked up. "Ami," Scott cried, running to my side.

"I knew you'd come," I whispered, resting my head on his shoulder as he hugged me. "Get Derek down," I murmured, "before Kate comes back." He nodded and stood, and I leaned against Derek again.

"Someone's coming!" he gasped as he opened the first cuff.

"Hide," Derek ordered him. He nodded and darted back out the door, closing it behind him. I closed my eyes as the door slid open, but I knew it wasn't Kate. Sighing with relief, I turned away from Derek, knowing if I didn't I'd just get hurt. The hunter man had not been above hitting me to make Derek furious last time he'd come. And it had worked only so magnificently. Yes, it had made Derek roar and snarl and snap his teeth. Sure, Derek probably would have ripped the man's head off if he'd been able. Yeah, I hurt like hell from the kicks to the ribs and the punches that had split my lip. But no, it hadn't made either of us talk.

I lifted my head as the big man came back and turned the light on so he could see Derek. "Ready to have some more fun?" he asked with a malicious smile. "Do be honest, my knuckles are kind of hurting, so I brought some help," he told my brother, holding up a baseball bat. It was wooden; it would shatter on Derek after a few blows. "I need to warn you, I used to play in college," he smirked, bringing the bat back for a strike. I crawled away only to have the man plant a foot on my back and hold me to the floor.

Then he swung, and I heard Derek catch the bat. "I brought a little help too," my brother told him. On my back, the foot twisted as the hunter turned. I looked up to see Scott standing in the doorway, looking rather pissed off and dangerous. Derek punched the guy, and he went flying off my back to slam into a cement wall.

Immediately Derek ripped off the wires taped to his side, and I remembered that mine was still attached to my arm. It wasn't like I could feel anything anyway. Pulling the tape off my wrist, I looked up as Scott walked over. "Scott, help me with this," Derek requested, pulling at his manacle.

"No," Scott replied.

"What?" the older Beta asked.

"Scott, please," I whispered, reaching out to grab the edge of the table.

"Not until you tell me how to stop Peter," the teen told him, ignoring me.

"You really want to talk about this now?" Derek demanded.

"He's going after Allison and her family. He's going to kill them," my younger brother explained.

"So what?" Derek yelled.

"So tell me how to stop him," Scott prompted.

"You can't!" my elder brother snapped.

"Not alone, Scott," I murmured. I was trying to gather my legs under me, but it wasn't working very well. Apparently Derek wasn't the only one who didn't handle electricity well.

"Alright, I don't know when Kate's coming back, so just get me out of this right now!" Derek yelled. "Get me out right now!"

"Scott, she'll kill all of us, and she'll start with him if she comes back," I told the brunette.

"Promise you'll help me," Scott ordered. Then I realized he knew something.

"You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend? Huh? For your stupid little teenage crush that means absolutely nothing?" I looked up sharply at this. I knew the one who'd changed him in high school had been a girl. Could this be it? Had he risked himself for her and failed? _'Are you trying to protect him from what happened to you?'_ "You're not in love, Scott. You're sixteen years old; you're a child!" Derek told him harshly.

"Maybe you're right," Scott considered. "But I know something you don't," he added. I watched Derek carefully, and managed to raise myself onto my knees. The anger at Scott faded instantly as the smaller of my brothers continued talking. "Peter said he didn't know what he was doing when he killed your sister, right? He lied. Remember this?" Scott was holding up a piece of paper, and Derek's eyes widened.

_Fear. The hunters were looking for Scott._

_Fear. Allison's father was looking for Scott._

"This is what brought your sister back to Beacon Hills, right?" Scott asked.

"Where did you get that?" Derek asked, and I realized it was the paper that had been under his windshield wiper the day we'd kidnapped Dr. Deaton.

"My boss told me three months ago someone came into the clinic asking for a copy of this picture. Wanna know who it was?" Scott replied.

"Let me see, Scott," I murmured, but he went on without turning.

"Peter's nurse. They brought your sister here so that Peter could kill her and become the Alpha. And that's why you're going to help me," Scott finished. The look on Derek's face was the most emotional I'd seen him around Scott, and I hated the fact that it was because of Peter. But the anger was real, and it gave me the strength to gather my legs and force myself to my feet. "Just say you'll help me and I'll help you unlock your other," Scott told him, turning his back on Derek. But even as anger gave me my strength, it allowed Derek to rip free of the manacle.

Scott turned around, surprised, as Derek rubbed his wrist. My older brother looked up at my younger; his jaw clenched in fury, and said, "I'll help you." Scott nodded and I watched as Derek pulled on his shirt and jacket. Stuffing his wallet and-was that Scott's phone-in his pocket, he handed me my jacket and sneakers. "Help your sister," the older wolf snapped at Scott, ripping the paper from his hand.

"You okay?" Scott asked as he hurried over.

"I'm getting these really weird feelings. Like, I think, they're coming from everyone else," I murmured as he helped me into my sneakers. "Like right now, I'm pretty sure Chris is looking for you to go after the Alpha. He's got Stiles and I think Jackson. Stiles is really mad. Chris, wait Stiles just told him Kate set the fire," I rasped, the feelings flashing through my head.

"How do you know?" Scott asked, lifting me onto his back.

"I wish I knew. I've been getting these dreams and feelings since Kate started torturing me," I explained.

"And Kate made her shift," Derek said, starting out of the basement once I was secure on Scott's back.

"Wait, you shifted?" Scott gasped. He followed the older Beta out of the room, but Derek had to lean on him once we got out of the underground tunnel.

"Just my eyes. And get this; they're purple, not yellow," I whispered as we climbed the hill.

"Wait, hold on," Derek panted, stopping behind us. "Hold on," he called, and Scott turned around. "Something doesn't feel right," he explained, looking around.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, looking around too. I lifted my head, dropping to the forest floor, a knot starting to form in my stomach.

_Triumph. Everything was coming together perfectly._

I shook my head, blinking, as Derek replied, "I don't know. It's kinda like it was-"

"No! Don't say too easy!" Scott cut him off. "People say too easy and bad things happen." Derek rolled his eyes and Scott asked, "Do you think finding you too was easy?" I touched his arm, a sound catching my attention, but he went on, "Getting away from Allison's dad, none of this has been easy!"

"Fine, you're right," Derek sighed.

"Thank you," Scott breathed, turning to head for the Hale house.

Then a familiar sound made me whirl as Derek fell behind me. I saw the arrow in his shoulder and cried out as his pain laced through my head. He rose, but went down with a second arrow in his thigh.

_Triumph. I had them. And Allison was doing it all for me._

I snarled as I realized the feeling was Kate's and Derek yelled, "Scott, your eyes!" I dropped, burying my face in my arms and heard the flash bolt explode above me. Scott went down, landing on top of me, and I heaved, trying to lift us up. Derek yelled in pain as he ripped the arrows free, and Scott struggled to rise.

"Come on, let's go!" Derek coaxed, trying to pull my brother up. I lay still, my brothers' pain overwhelming what little strength I had. Kate walked over to me, but dismissed me as no threat before she followed Allison. The younger girl looked back at me, and I lifted my head to meet her eyes.

_Guilt. Ami was dying. And I was hurting her brother as she did. Anger. They deserved this. They'd put Lydia in the hospital. Confliction. Scott and Ami had never hurt anyone._

"Scott, go!" Derek yelled and I _felt_ him hit the leaves as he collapsed. _'What the hell is happening to me?'_

_Hopeless. Kate was going to kill me and I couldn't save Scott. Failure. I'm so sorry, Ami, I failed you._

_Fear. Kate was going to kill Derek and probably me too._

"No, Derek, you didn't fail," I breathed.

"Allison, I can explain," Scott said.

"Stop lying. For once, stop lying," Allison snapped, her anger clear in my head.

"I was gonna tell you the truth at the formal. I was gonna tell you everything," my brother told her. "Everything that I said, everything that I did," he started to explain.

"Was to protect me," she interrupted.

"Yes," Scott assured her.

"I don't believe you," she told him, but I could feel her heartbreak. She wanted to believe him, so badly.

"Thank god," Kate sighed. "Now shoot him before I have to shoot myself."

"You said we were just gonna catch them," Allison protested.

"We did that. Now we're going to kill them," Kate replied, firing. I screamed as Derek's pain hit me, my hands clawing at the leaves as I tried to drag myself to him. "See, not that hard," Kate assured her niece.

_Horror. She'd killed him!_

_Fear. She's gonna kill me!_

"Oh, no, I know that look. That's the you're-gonna-have-to-do-it-yourself look," Kate sighed.

"Kate, Kate, what are you doing?" Allison gasped, grabbing Kate's arm. But the huntress pushed the younger girl to the ground as I watched. Clenching my teeth, I inched forward, desperate to reach Derek.

_Fear. I'm going to die. And Ami's going to be alone._

"I love those brown eyes," Kate admitted, as if it were a shame she had to take the light from them.

"Kate!" Chris's voice called. The hunter walked onto what had once been the driveway saying, "I know what you did. Put the gun down."

"I did what I was told to do," Kate said, her voice low and angry.

"No one asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house Ones who were human." Chris sounded calm, but his hurt, his betrayal were swimming around my head. Allison's horror only grew, and I bit my lip to block them out as I crawled towards my brothers. "Look what you're doing now. You're holding a gun at a sixteen year old boy with no proof he spilled human blood. We go by the code; nous chassons ceux qui nous chasse."

"We hunt those who hunt us," Allison whispered as she translated. Of course she spoke French. Her last name was French for silver.

_Shock. My own brother was aiming a gun at me._

"Put the gun down," Chris ordered as I reached Derek's feet.

Nudging him gently, I moved slowly to his head and met his eyes. He was alive. "Get it out," he whispered, and I nodded. Crawling around to his other side, I dug the arrowhead out of his leg with shaking hands. But the bullet would be another matter entirely. I jumped as the gun went off and realized just how seriously Chris took this code.

"Before I put you down," the hunter threatened his sister. She lowered the gun as I watched, and Scott's relief made me bow my head.

Then the front door creaked open, and I looked up. "Allison, get back," Chris ordered.

"What is it?" the girl asked, getting to her feet as her voice shook.

"It's the Alpha," Scott told her, and I felt his anger rise.

He shifted, and suddenly, his human feelings vanished from my head. They were replaced by primal, instinct drives, and I realized I could feel the wolf inside him. I turned my attention back to Derek, peeling his jacket and shirt away from his shoulder so I could see the bullet wound. "Done," I breathed, seeing that the bullet had gone all the way through. The wound was already healing, but slowly, since there were three different wounds, and his body hadn't healed from the torture yet. Then I shifted around to face the house, placing myself in a crouch between the Alpha and my fallen brother.

The power coming through the connection to the Alpha drove me down, pressing me into the leaves. I snarled in rage at being forced to submit as the Alpha raced past me. Chris went down and his feelings cut off. _'Was he dead or just unconscious?'_

Then Allison went down, her fear escalating as her bow flew from her hand. Scott went down, the pain knocking him back into human. "Come on!" Kate roared. "Come on!" Then her pain came to me, and I jumped as her gun went off once, then a second time. She cried out as Peter broke her wrist, and I snarled again. As much as I hated Kate, I'd wanted her to kill Peter. I watched as the human Alpha threw the huntress onto the porch and then carried her by her throat into the house.

"Derek, get up!" I ordered, watching Allison run, unarmed, into the house. "Get up! You have to stop him!"

"I'm up," he growled, turning blue eyes to me as he crouched over my prone form. I stopped fighting the whirlwind in my head and collapsed into the leaves. Derek nudged me with his nose, the wolf form of a kiss, and went to Scott. My head dropped to my arms as Kate's fear, Peter's fury, and Allison's horror hit me. Then Kate's feelings cut off, but there was an absence that Chris didn't have that told me she was dead.

Allison's horror changed to fear, but I felt Scott's instinctive drive to protect her rise. Derek's animalistic desire to avenge his fallen sister and Alpha took over, and I knew my brothers stood together against Peter. I could just barely hear them fighting over the storm in my head and looked up. All I could see was Allison trying to wake up her dad.

Pain and anger became the dominant drives in my head, and Peter's triumph was slipping away. He was losing control of the Alpha, but managed to hang on. "Allison!" I croaked. She looked up and I motioned for her to get back.

Derek went down, dazed, and I snarled. A minute and two flashes of the Alpha's rage later, Scott became afraid. Any sense I had of Peter was swallowed up as the Alpha broke loose, and I shrieked in pain as his power forced my eyes to shift. Scott went flying out the window, and Allison looked up, afraid. The Alpha leaped out the window, growling, and the sight of him drove all the feelings out of my head. My own fear and rage propelled me to my feet, but Scott had already kicked free of the Alpha's grasp. "Derek get up!" I hissed, knowing Scott and I couldn't fight the Alpha.

A car horn made me jump, and the Alpha looked over to see Stiles and Jackson standing on either side of the Porsche. Stiles threw a flask straight into the Alpha's hand. "Oh damn," the boy swore as the Alpha roared at him.

"Allison!" Scott cried, throwing the bow to her. The girl fired as the Alpha raised the flask to throw it, and flames exploded along the beast's arm. Pain and rage and fear drove me back to my knees, but I rose with a terrific snarl. I watched Jackson throw another flask that enveloped the Alpha's body in fire, and the beast roared. I moved up to stand beside a crouching Scott as he hissed at the Alpha. Looking at each other, yellow met purple then stared at red.

Allison fell back, out of arrows, as the Alpha still seeking his revenge turned on her. Scott yelled and leaped, kicking the Alpha back as I darted in front of Allison. We watched, horrified, as the Alpha fell to his knees and shifted back to Peter. I gagged at the sight of the mutilated flesh and watched my uncle fall. Then Allison moved towards Scott, and I scrambled out of the way. She knelt beside my brother as I sank down to a crouch, my whole body shaking with the effort of standing.

_Relief. Scott's struggle was over._

_Confusion. Would fire actually kill that monster?_

Scott pulled back from the girl, turning away as she knelt beside him and caught his chin. I smiled as Scott shifted back and Allison kissed him. "Why did you do that?" he asked her. Shaking my head, I let my eyes fall back to their normal blue and watched Derek come out of the house.

_Resignation. My daughter loves the creature I'm sworn to kill. _

I sighed, relieved, but tilted my head in confusion as my brother knelt over Peter.

_Desperation. If Derek killed Peter, I was stuck as a werewolf._

"Wait!" Scott cried. "You said the cure comes from the one who bit you!"

_Confliction. How could I risk him becoming the Alpha if it wasn't true?_

"Derek, if you do this, I'm dead," Scott pleaded.

_Guilt. What if I do this and it would have saved him?_

"Her father, her family, what am I supposed to do?" Scott begged.

_Anger. He'd killed my sister._

_Disbelief. Did McCall really not want this power?_

_Shock. Derek wouldn't actually do this to Scott would he?_

"You've already decided," Peter rasped.

"Derek…" I murmured, "Not alone."

"I can smell it on you!" Peter snarled.

"Wait, no, no, no don't!" Scott cried as Derek ripped Peter's throat.

_Betrayal. He'd taken my only chance._

_Horror. He'd killed him. _

_Dread. Did this mean…_

_Success. Derek would give me what I wanted. _

"I'm the Alpha now," Derek said, and his voice rasped with power. I stood, my feet pulling me to him on their own violation. He wrapped his arms around me when I reached him, backing us both away from Peter's body. Catching his chin, I searched his eyes, ignoring the fact that they were red, and quirked an eyebrow. "I'm okay," he assured me softly.

I nodded, and then allowed him to carry me to sit on the front stairs. "What are we doing with the bodies?" I asked. Everyone moved closer, Chris relinquishing his hold on Allison to Scott.

Derek turned to Chris, his eyes back to normal, and asked, "Are you okay with everyone knowing she set the fire?"

Argent straightened, taking a deep breath before he met the new Alpha's eyes. "What do you propose?"

As Derek laid out the plan, I raised my hands, seeing how badly they were shaking. Stiles and Jackson took turns pulling me to their chest, and I sighed. I stayed on the stairs as Allison handed her necklace to Chris, my eyes closing no matter how hard I tried to keep them open. "What are you going to do with him?" Chris asked.

"Bury him," Derek replied.

_Love. Allison had forgiven me. Relief. The Alpha was done ruining my life. Worry. Was Derek going to be okay as the new Alpha? Concern. What had happened to my sister?_ Scott was walking towards the Porsche with the other two boys. His emotions shone a warm, comforting cocoa brown that reminded me of sipping hot chocolate in front of the fire.

_Love. Scott would be okay. I could handle this. Grief. My aunt, whatever she'd done, was gone. _Allison's feelings were very appropriately French blue. The girl picked up her bow, then found her quiver and waited for her father at the edge of the woods.

_Contentment. Scott was safe and our lives could go back to normal. Worry. The doctors said Lydia was okay; was she becoming a werewolf? Relief. The girl I loved was alive._ The bright, bouncing yellow was pretty distinct, and could only be Stiles as he was regulated to the back of the Porsche, being the smallest.

_Satisfaction. The Alpha was dead. It was over. Dread. When they found out Kate broke the code, they'd all come. Acceptance. This was only the beginning of something new. _That was Chris as he nodded and picked up his gun and Kate's. A dark hunter green now accompanied the man's emotions, allowing me to pick them out of the swirl in my head.

_Devious. Derek doesn't exactly seem upset at being the Alpha now. Greedy. It's my turn to get power. Calm. The monster was gone. _It didn't really surprise me to see that Jackson was a charcoal gray as he slid into his rightful place behind the Porsche's steering wheel. But the greed worried me; was he going to ask Derek for the bite?

When Derek returned to the porch, having buried Peter's mutilated body under the floorboards of the living room, I noticed that his color wasn't the red I'd expected. Instead, I saw blue-gray as I picked out his feelings. _Guilt. Scott was probably angry with me. Fulfillment. Laura had been avenged. Relief. I don't have to carry the weight of the truth about the fire anymore. Confusion. Something was happening to Ami now, and I didn't understand what it was. Worry. Will Ami accept me as the Alpha? Affection. It was her that gave me strength. _

I looked up at him and managed a weak smile as he picked me up. "The police are on their way," he murmured, settling back on the stairs as he cradled me in his lap. "She said an ambulance is coming for you."

"Stay," I pleaded, my head resting on his chest. His heart beat steadily under my ear, and I calmed enough to sleep in his arms.

I woke to sirens and flashing lights. When I realized Derek was gone, I struggled against the two EMTs strapping me to a stretcher. Sheriff Stilinski came running over as I sought my brother. "Shhh, Ami, you're okay," he assured me.

"Derek," I gasped, still unable to see him.

"He's just answering a few questions, Ami. You have to hold still now so they can get you on fluids," he replied, taking my hand.

"Please?" I asked, but my brief strength was gone.

"He's right here, kiddo," Mr. Stilinski stepped back and Derek was there, his eyes wide and worried. He didn't have to say anything, just took my hand, and I calmed. His other hand came down on my shoulder as the EMT slid a needle into the inside of my elbow. Somehow, I fell asleep, and didn't wake up until my mom came running into my hospital room. Crying, she threw her arms around me, minding the various tubes and lines attached to my arm. The nurse tending me assured her I was already on my way to recovering completely. So then she had to turn to a very uncomfortable Derek and thank him profusely for finding me.

Scott and Stiles joined me next, but they soon left to sneak into Lydia's room. When they came back, they were both confused. "Will she be okay?" I asked softly. Mom had gone back to her shift, though she promised to spend the night in my room once she got off.

"The doctors said she'll be fine, but she's not healing like I did. She's not a werewolf," Scott assured me. I nodded, relieved, and too tired to think on it any more than that.

"Go, Scott, go be with Allison," I whispered. When he looked at me, I shrugged with one shoulder. "I'm fine." He leaned over, kissed my forehead, and lead Stiles out. I drifted off to sleep, but woke easily to a warm touch.

"How do you feel?" Derek asked softly.

"Sore, tired, and cold," I whispered. He smiled and I shifted over on the bed, making room for him to sit next to me. Once he had, I cuddled into his warmth, and felt his arm come around me. "You'll stay, right?" I murmured.

"Of course. I'll never leave you alone, Ami," he assured me.

"Pack takes care of its own," I remembered, letting my head rest over his heart again.

His arm tightened around me and he whispered, "You'll always be pack." As I drifted into real sleep, I felt him nuzzle my hair, and caught a glimpse of blue-gray. _Content._


	17. Omega

**Author's Note: And here comes season 2! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

**Sarah-just keep reading and you'll find out **

**Teresa-Yeah, it won't be pretty**

**Smartypants-Don't worry if you were confused, it'll make sense eventually. And I'm glad you liked the ending.**

Chapter 17-Omega

When I was finally released from the hospital, my bedroom was full of flowers, cards, and even a ridiculously cute teddy bear from Isaac. I was still weak, and my body was hypersensitive to touch lately. The doctor said it was because of the electrocution.

As bored as I had been in the hospital, I'd at least been allowed to visit Lydia every day and Scott had shown up after practice every day before he went to work. When I'd asked him about the haircut, he'd just said that the long hair felt too young. I had smiled sadly, remembering Derek having gone through the same thing.

Derek had snuck into my room pretty much every night, but he was always gone when my mom came to check on me. Allison and Danny had shown up frequently, so I was well aware of the going-ons at school. Allison told me, through tears, how Chris had nearly killed Scott, but it was easy to see that she and Scott weren't exactly keeping away from each other. But that might have been because Allison wasn't as angry as she should have been, instead, she was thinking about Scott sneaking over. Her French blue was a welcome, familiar sight after being stuck in the hospital surrounded by suffering strangers.

And the day Jackson stopped by; I knew instantly that he'd gotten the bite. He wasn't very good at masking his own agenda. But of course that was because I could read his emotions like an open book.

The afternoon I got home, I realized it was a full moon. And I'd left Lydia, who may or not be turning into a werewolf, alone. Scott was already gone, running around the woods to go see Allison. Stiles was probably still at the hospital. Distracted, I moved to the window to look up at the moon, and heard the wail. I gasped, clutching my ears, and realized it was Lydia. "Shit, shit, shit, oh you moron!" I scolded myself. Grabbing my phone, I hit Derek's speed dial, and waited.

"Ami? What's wrong?" he asked, but I didn't care that somehow he'd known something was wrong.

"You heard that right? It's Lydia. Find her, please, before the cops or hunters do," I said, pacing nervously across my room.

"I'm going," he assured me, and I heard a door close.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Working on the den," he replied. The den was the new house he was having built up in the woods since he neither wanted nor could repair the old Hale house.

"Hurry, please," I whispered before I hung up. Closing my eyes as I sat under the window sill, I realized the moon was affecting me too. All the feelings were amplified and I searched my head for the bouncing yellow I knew would be Stiles. When I found it, all I read was worry. He knew Lydia was gone. Scott' cocoa and Allison's blue joined him, threading their way closer to the yellow, which I'd learned meant they were all together. All three of them were worried, but they weren't sitting around waiting like I had to.

Suddenly a new feeling came to me, but I recognized the color. Isaac's innocent baby blue was reading confusion and fear, and then the fear became panic. Another color joined him and it was scrambled and cloudy, but it wasn't wolf-like. I knew how to distinguish the wild, primal drives of a wolf from the emotions of a human, and this was neither. And then I sighed in relief. Derek was there, briefly in Alpha form, and the cloud fled. It was strange, I'd never felt something like this. There wasn't even a real color to it, just a sense of a being. Everything seemed to calm down after that, though I was still able to read Scott, Allison, and Stiles.

They were confused, then worried again. Scott was resigned, and I stifled a laugh as I read his conversation with Chris and the two hunters. I ignored the two lackeys, not needing any more colors to sort through, though I wondered how many I could really handle. I had to know the person to hold onto the color, because the hospital patients and staff had just been faint flickers. It had been enough for me to know they were there, but not pinpoint where or who they were.

As I dozed off, I felt my brother grow triumphant, and Stiles and Allison were impressed. My little brother was turning into a badass, so I supposed the haircut helped. _'How long will it be before he asks for a tattoo?'_

When my mom shook me awake in the morning, I found myself in my bed, a warm spot smelling like Derek fading beside me. "Can I go to school?" I asked, hopeful.

"The doctor wrote you a note to get you out of PE, so give these to the office and your teacher. Call me if you get tired, alright? I'm sure the teachers will understand if you want to leave," Mom told me. I hugged her excitedly and then scrambled up to get dressed.

I settled for a purple sweater and knit beanie with jeans and boots and briefly wondered if I should tuck my two knives into my boots. They were small, and easily concealed, and I felt better carrying them with me. So I did and went about doing my makeup. I didn't want anyone looking at me like I was broken, so I did my best to cover up the bruises still fading on my jaw and forehead.

Scott looked at me proudly as I came down the stairs, but I knew he was worried. "I'll be fine, Scotty," I assured him, hugging him. He was gentle, which I didn't mind, sine I would be the first to admit I still hurt.

"Let me know if anyone bothers you," he requested. I sighed, wondering how I was going to ever get a boyfriend with two protective, possessive werewolf brothers guarding me. I nodded, swiped my bagel of the counter, and looked up as Derek came into the kitchen.

With my mom still thinking it had been Derek to find me, she'd told him he was welcome over anytime. He was uncomfortable around her though, even though she seemed to like him. "Ready?" he asked, taking my bag off the kitchen table.

"Finally," I cheered, and he just smirked at me. I grinned at Scott over my shoulder as I left, but he just rolled his eyes and waved.

Danny was the first to see me as I got out of the Camaro, and he came running over to hug me. "I'm sorry, I'd stay, but I have morning practice," he sighed, setting me back down.

"It's okay, Danny. Derek's gonna walk me to the office," I assured him. I reached up, pulling him down by the front of his shirt, and kissed his cheek. "Go, before Coach makes you run suicide sprints for being late," I ordered. He laughed and took off, joining Jackson as they headed for the locker room.

"I am?" Derek asked, looking down at me.

"Yes, you are, that way people stare at you, not me," I told him with simple finality. He shook his head, but slung his arm around my shoulders as he escorted me to the office.

_Gray annoyance. Really, they thought I'd care?_

_Yellow disbelief. How could he not care about beautiful, perfect, missing Lydia?_

"Can you help Scott look for Lydia tonight? I'm really worried about her," I murmured. Derek nodded as the principle and the nurse joined us.

"Ms. McCall, I'm glad to see you back at school," the principle told me, smiling warmly.

"Believe me, sir, I'm glad to be back," I replied, handing him the note from my doctor. He read it before passing it to the nurse.

"If you feel worse in any way, come straight to my office, alright, dear? I don't want you tiring yourself out," she requested.

I nodded and the principle dismissed me, allowing Derek to walk me to my first class. The teacher looked up when we came in, but didn't say anything as my brother walked me to my seat. "Call me if you need me," Derek whispered as I sat. I looked up, meeting his eyes and nodded. He kissed my forehead, a protective rumble faintly reaching my ears, and then he was gone.

I don't know how I managed to take notes in class. Colors swirled around my head and all of them had names. When I put my head down, I heard the whispers and saw the colors. The gossip was easy enough to tune out, but the curiosity and worry wasn't. it was like I was seeing my notebook with one eye and the colors with the other. If I closed both eyes, I could still hear the whispers and feel the emotions.

In Chemistry last period, I gratefully claimed my seat by the window, letting the sun warm my back. It was a relief to know that Harris and Stiles hadn't changed at all, though Harris did tell me not to worry about the quiz until next week.

_Disgust. That was black blood. Worry. Why was Jackson's blood black? _Danny's mint green suddenly bubbled to the front of the whirlpool, and I looked up.

_Horror. My blood…was black. Panic. Was this because of the bite?_ That was Jackson as he fled the classroom. I scrambled in my bag, searching for my phone, unsure if Derek would be able to feel whatever was happening to Jackson. But I stopped searching when I felt the blue-gray join the dark gray.

_Contempt. I was not part of Derek's little pack._

_Confusion. What the hell was happening to him? Had my bite done this?_

I put my head down, keeping my mental eye on Jackson as Derek left. The blonde boy eventually came back from the bathroom, and I met his worried eyes. Making a calming motion with my hand, I watched Danny give him a confused and worried look. Jackson took a deep breath and Danny leaned around him to look at me. I shook my head, urging him not to ask questions. The tall boy couldn't find out anything; he'd be in so much danger if he knew the truth.

As I was walking towards my locker after school, I saw Scott hiding behind a corner, watching Allison protectively. "Hey, Scott, I got this," I murmured, walking passed him. "Nice dress," a boy standing nearby told her as she went to close her locker.

"Nice camera," she replied. I moved up to her side, putting my hand on her arm as two girls across the hall started talking about Kate.

"Her sister, her aunt, the one who murmured all those people," one said.

"You mean the crazy bitch that killed all those people?" the blonde asked. I caught Allison's chin, pulling her gaze to me instead of them.

"Yeah, the fire, all those animal attacks, it was her aunt," the first girl told the blonde.

"Are you kidding me, I sit next to her in English," the blonde replied. But she already knew. They were just being plainly mean.

"Find a new seat," the first girl laughed meanly. The blonde laughed, and I felt Allison squeeze my hand as she slammed her locker shut and walked away.

I let her go, knowing she was walking right towards Scott, and turned to the two bullies. I stalked up to them and both shrank away from me. "Allison had nothing to do with any of that," I snarled. "So why don't you keep your immature mouths shut, grow up, and get over it? You're also going to apologize to her tomorrow in class when you sit next to her. And don't expect me to be forgiving."

"Sorry, Ami," the blonde murmured.

"Tell that to Allison," I snapped, stalking away. Allison was sad and afraid, but it faded as Scott reassured her. I smiled at the thought of my brother being warm and comforting, knowing Allison trusted him the way I trusted Derek. Speaking of Derek, he was there as I closed my locker, taking my bag and my books. "I don't want people seeing me as broken, yet you're the worst offender," I sighed. He looked down at me, and I didn't need to ribbon of blue-gray to tell me how protective he was feeling. It didn't surprise me when he took my hand and walked me out to the Camaro. I had to admit that I was tired, and my head hurt. The good thing was once I left the school behind; I left behind most of the colors. He headed for my house, where I was going to have maybe an hour to relax before the funeral.

"Here," Derek murmured, pressing a bottle into my hand. My eyes fluttered open to see the Tylenol label, and I immediately twisted off the top. My brother laughed softly, passing over a water bottle as I shook out two pills. "How do you feel?" he asked. I sat up; realizing he'd carried me up to my room without my noticing.

"Honestly, it feels like I have a dozen tiny, glittery, colorful fairies flying around my head inside this whirlwind that won't go away. And that's right now. At school, there was a fairy for every person in the building. If I touch someone, their fairy-their color-comes right to the front and floats there for however long I'm in contact with the person. If I don't know a person, I can't see their fairy-the color I mean-but I know it's there. The better I know a person, the bigger their fairy is. The closer I am, the brighter the color. Like you, right now, you're a blue-gray, and your fairy is sitting right at the front of the whirlwind," I told him.

"Fairies, not pixies?" he teased, glancing over. I whacked him, though pixie was a better description of the front of the ribbons of color. Huffing, I perked up as Stiles was freed from detention. Allison was confused and Chris was regretting holding the funeral. I caught a glimpse of Victoria's insistence before I saw a dark burgundy red I recognized. '_what the hell is Matt doing at the funeral?'_ I thought as a horn honked from outside.

When I opened the front door, there was Stiles, waiting for me impatiently. "Come on," he rushed me, and I grumbled quietly. Derek laughed behind me, tossing the pill bottle to the younger boy. Then the young Alpha kissed the top of my head and jumped in the Camaro. I grabbed my gray leather jacket from the coat rack and locked the door behind me as Stiles started the Jeep. Climbing in, I searched around Allison for the cocoa brown I knew was Scott, and found him easily enough. He was confused, and very wary.

Matt was suddenly startled, then annoyed, and finally wary. Scott became worried. Stiles parked the Jeep in the woods around the cemetery and we ran through the trees. I caught a sense of Chris's resignation and acceptance as a new pixie appeared in front of him, but I couldn't see the newcomer's color. The pixie was a sense that felt similar to Chris but older. Then the color moved to Victoria's cerise and finally stood before Allison.

"He's over here," I murmured, following the ribbon of cocoa brown right to my brother.

"Yo," Stiles whispered as he dropped into the leaves behind Scott. I crouched on the other side of the angel marker's base, and saw the white haired man standing before Allison. "Who the hell is that?" Stiles asked.

Scott's worry grew, and I shrank back as Allison looked over. The man looked over, and Scott and Stiles hid. "He's definitely an Argent," Scott told us. The boys moved to look again, but I stayed hidden, trying to get a good read on the new Argent's pixie. A brief flash of Scott and Allison's love interrupted me, and I sighed.

"Hey, Y'know, maybe they're just here for the funeral. What if they're the non-hunting side of the family? There could be non-hunting Argents, that's possible right?" Stiles suggested.

"Stiles, the only thing I'm getting from that guy is that he's a hunter," I whispered.

"You know what they are? They're reinforcements," Scott replied, and then the boys were yanked up away from me.

I looked up, seeing a furious Sheriff Stilinski, and got to my feet with arguing. "The two of you are unbelievable, and then you drag a girl who should technically still be in the hospital with you," the Sheriff growled. "Pick up my tie," he ordered Stiles.

"I know, I'm supposed to ask," Stiles said as the Sheriff pushed them ahead of him. I followed, developing a limp as I realized how tired I was. He dragged the boys all the way to the cruiser, where he shoved them in the back and let me sit up front.

Then the radio went off, and a scared officer spoke. "I didn't copy that, did you say four-one-five-Adam?" the Sheriff asked.

"Disturbance in a car," Stiles hissed.

"They were taking a heart attack victim T.O.A, but on the way to the hospital, something hit them," the officer replied.

"Hit the ambulance?" the Sheriff asked, incredulous. As he spoke, I noticed the his pixie was a very secure mahogany brown. Behind me, Stiles grew worried as Scott became curious.

"Copy that. I'm standing in front of it right now. Something got in the back. There's blood everywhere, and I mean everywhere," the officer told him.

"Alright, unit four, what's your twenty?" the Sheriff asked.

"Five and post. I swear, I've never seen anything like this," the officer sounded kind of panicked, and Stiles and Scott shot out the back door.

"Alright, take it easy, I'm on my way," the Sheriff assured him. "As for you too," he turned around to talk to the boys, and I saw that the backdoor was wide open. I shrugged when he looked at me, and buckled in silence. "You might not want to see this, Ami," he told me. But after everything that had happened with Scott and Derek and Peter, I was pretty sure I could handle it. I shrugged again, and he started the car. Turning on the lights, we sped away from the cemetery.

When we pulled up, I couldn't feel the same clouded and scrambled pixie as I had when Isaac was attacked. But I could feel a lonely wolf. I got out, following the Sheriff so I could get closer, and felt Scott and Stiles nearby. Scott was suddenly resigned, but he'd picked up a scent. Stiles was worried, and insistent. Then Scott left, but I followed his emotions through the woods. A new pixie, one giving off loneliness and anger was there, and Scott went after it, shifting as he gave chase.

Stiles came up from the woods, and I listened with one ear as the Sheriff berated him. Meanwhile, the new pixie shifted to a wolf, and Scott became confused. They fought and Scott gave chase again. But as I stood beside the Stilinski's, my head shot up. A magenta pink pixie was getting closer, and I knew it well. I took off, running down the road towards it as Lydia stepped out of the fog, completely naked. "Lydia?" Stiles asked, catching sight of her. The girl was freezing, shivering and pale, her hair a tangled mess. Yanking off my sweater, leaving me in just a tank top and jeans, I helped her into it, using my tiny body to block her bare one from the view of all the, male only, officers.

"Lydia!" Stiles yelled, getting her attention.

She looked up, realizing where she was, and asked in a really weird voice, "Well, is anyone gonna get me a coat?" I laughed softly, pulling off my scarf and beanie. Pulling her hair up, I stuck the beanie over it, and then wrapped my scarf around her neck. Sheriff Stilinski came over, handing me his jacket, and I slid her arms into it. It was long enough on her to fall all the way to her thighs, hiding the rest of her from view. Tucking the still shaking girl against my side, I pulled her to the cruiser, turning her away from the ambulance.

As I turned the heat on for her, I caught a glimpse of panic and restriction from the strange wolf, and Scott was suddenly confused. Derek was there, dragging Scott away, his protective side flaring. Chris and a number of his hunter lackeys surrounded the strange wolf, and the old hunter was there too. The wolf flared in pain, and was human again, his pixie confused and afraid.

The old hunter was triumphant and particularly spiteful. I got the sense that he hated werewolves just for existing, similar to how Kate had felt. But where Kate had loved to play with them and laugh at them, this man just wanted them gone, eliminated. Scott became afraid and struggled, but Derek was strong enough to hold my younger brother back from running to the lonely wolf's rescue. That wolf became afraid, and Chris was a little surprised.

Then the other wolf cut off, dead, and Scott was horrified. Derek was worried, but he used the opportunity to make a point to Scott about being part of a pack. Scott was confused and afraid, Derek furious and worried. Chris too, was angry, angry with the old hunter. But the old hunter was angry too, and insistent. He was so full of hate, and then I realized he was Kate's father. He was using Peter killing Kate as an excuse to kill all werewolves.

I fell back against the seat in the cruiser in horror and fear, but smiled when I realized Lydia was asleep on my shoulder. Curling protectively around her, I stared out the window over her head. Absently, I tried shifting my eyes and grinned when I saw the flash of purple. But I had to duck my head when the other ambulance showed up to take Lydia back to the hospital. It took one whine from Lydia and a glare from purple eyes to convince the EMT's to let me ride with her. She shied away from the paramedics, and as her fear came to me, I placed myself in front of her. I couldn't help it; apparently Peter and Kate forcing me to shift had brought out all the werewolf personality traits in me.

Pale and wide eyed, the young EMT handed me a blanket to wrap around Lydia's legs, draping another over my now bare shoulders and arms. But I shook it off, wrapping it around Lydia instead. I hadn't spent two days, completely naked, out in the woods overnight. "I'm fine," I insisted, ignoring the fact that he was staring at my chest. Then an older, female EMT shooed him up front and sat on the bench across from us.

"You take good care of your friend," she observed as the ambulance took off, lights flashing.

"I was raised by an extremely protective family; I guess it rubbed off," I shrugged, making her smile softly. But I stopped paying attention, since Scott had fled Derek, returning to the house. Derek went to the train depot he'd turned into a kind of hide out while he had the house built, but I knew he wouldn't be there once I got home.

When we got to the hospital, I learned that there was something extremely comforting about the thankful hug of a distraught mother. Mrs. Martin threw her arms around me the instant she was assured by the doctor that Lydia would be just fine. I hugged her back, catching sight of my own mother over her shoulder. My mom was smiling proudly, having heard from the EMT woman how helpful I'd been. When Mrs. Martin finally let me go, I hugged Lydia gently and left the mother and daughter to themselves. Outside the hospital, I called Derek to ask him to pick me up and followed it up with a call to Allison to tell her that Lydia was found and on her way to fine. But we were both worried about the strawberry blonde and I knew Scott would be once I shared my finding.

When Lydia had appeared in the woods, I'd seen a knot in her ribbon of color. The pink ribbon was broken by the murky knot, and I couldn't get a solid reading on it. It was the same scrambled feeling I'd gotten when I'd heard her wail the night she'd vanished. I knew Lydia wasn't a werewolf, but Peter's bite had clearly done something to her. I just didn't know what that something could be.


	18. Shape Shifted

**Author's Note: First off, I absolutely love Isaac **** Second, thanks to Ash B. Bramble for reviewing so quickly! You're the first review for season 2! Here's a key to help you guys out!**

"Dialogue" vs._ 'Ami's thoughts'_

_Feelings (Readings from the ribbons of color) vs._ Regular

Chapter 18-Shape Shifted

Derek clearly did not understand the expression let me put shoes on first. Then again, neither did Stiles. Because now I was sitting in the train depot, in an old train car, with no shoes for the second night in a row! Derek was going through an old trunk, looking for a book his mother had stashed there for nights of the full moon. I however, was experimenting, seeing how far the ribbons in my head extended before I lost them.

I was using Isaac as a guinea pig, since I knew him well enough to have established a solid ribbon. But I didn't know him like I knew Scott or Derek, so keeping track of his pixie was harder. I'd found that if I imagined the colors like ribbons, all I had to do was find the pixie that would bring it to me. But Isaac might not have been the best one to choose for this. He was nervous, afraid to tell his father everything in case he reacted badly. I didn't like Mr. Lahey. The one time I'd been over Isaac's house to drop off Economics notes, the man had leered at me, calling me a whore. He had a really ugly, mean rust colored ribbon.

When the two ribbons pulsed with changes in emotions, I closed my eyes. I wanted to see if I could catch a glimpse of what was actually happening instead of getting just emotions. Isaac was hopeful and relieved, but Mr. Lahey was giving off a feeling I didn't like. It was…angry yet falsely calm. Then I got worried. Mr. Lahey was being cruel, letting some of his anger slip through. Isaac instantly became afraid, and I gasped when I saw the pitcher fly through the air to shatter over Isaac's head. A brief moment of pain told me Isaac had been cut, and then he was angry.

"Ami?" Derek asked, leaning over me. I waved him away, trying to see what was going on at Isaac's that suddenly astonished Mr. Lahey. Isaac panicked, taking off, and my eyes darted open.

"You bit Isaac!" I snarled, fury making my eyes flash purple.

"How do you know that?" he asked, taking a step back.

"He healed, in front of his dad, and thought of you! When did you bite him?" I growled, getting to my feet on the seats.

"The night after he was attacked at the cemetery," he told me calmly. "He wanted it. I warned him about the hunters and the risk of it killing him, but he said he didn't want to be afraid anymore," he explained.

"Did you give him a choice?" I snapped.

"Do you think I'd do that?" he demanded, his eyes turning red as he got mad.

"Well, when were you gonna tell me you were building a pack that apparently I have no say in?" I asked. "Did you really think you could hide a werewolf from a girl who can literally read people like a bulletin board? Did you think I wasn't going to notice?"

"Calm down!" he snarled. I huffed, crossing my arms angrily, but let him talk. "I wasn't going to tell you in case the bite didn't work. But apparently it worked," he explained.

"Does he know about Scott and I?" I asked, relaxing a little bit.

"He knows about Scott. I haven't told him about you," he replied.

"Why haven't you told him?" I wasn't angry anymore, just curious.

"I figured you'd react like this when you found out and didn't want to risk getting Isaac's hopes of a pack-mother up only to have you leave," he sighed.

"Wait, did you just say pack-mother?" I checked, slightly shocked.

"Well, yeah. All your friends seem to trust you with everything and come to you when they're having problems. Plus you know how a pack works. You don't mind do you?" he told me.

"I just thought a pack-mother was the Alpha female," I explained, sitting back down.

"Well, you kind of are the Alpha female. Scott and Stiles listen to you, and you're my anchor after all, so it doesn't really matter that you can't fully shift. The pack mother doesn't have to be an Alpha's mate or an Alpha," Derek sounded a little confused. He was wondering why I wasn't happy about this.

But I was happy; it was just kind of surprising. "I'm your anchor?" I exclaimed. _'How many revelations was I going to get in one conversation?'_

"You always have been. You were for the others, too, even Liam," he sat down beside me, taking my tiny hand in his.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything other than, "Isaac's almost here. He's really freaked out." He nodded, getting to his feet to wait for the new Beta, and I suddenly became aware of the fact that Mr. Lahey's ribbon was gone.

I searched for the ugly feeling and found it fading. Annoyance had been replaced with fear, and then the ribbon had been severed in half. "Uh, we might have a problem," I murmured, my stomach sinking.

"Derek! Derek!" Isaac's voice yelled, his ribbon pulsing with pain and fear and confusion. He came pounding down the stairs into the depot, and appeared at the door of the train car.

"What's wrong?" the Alpha asked from where he was leaning against the end door.

"It's my dad. I think he's dead," the younger boy told him. His heart was pounding loud enough for me to hear it, his eyes wide with fear. He was also dripping wet; it was probably pouring outside.

Derek straightened, moving out of the shadows, his eyes fading back to normal as he left the darkness. "What did you do?" he asked, sensing the worst.

"That's the thing. It wasn't me," Isaac swallowed, and Derek looked down at me.

I nodded; this was the problem I'd read. He crouched, allowing me to climb onto his back before he pushed Isaac out of the car. "Show me," he ordered. I sighed and flipped my hood up over my hair; I really wasn't in the mood for rain. But I went anyway, because the depot creeped me out. At least Derek was warm.

When we got back to Isaac's dad, the police had found the car and taped off the area. They were already working the scene, so we didn't stay long. Derek took Isaac home, telling him to go to school in the morning and try to stay calm. Then he brought me home and left. While he was retrieving the Camaro to hide it down the road for the morning, I jumped in the shower and got ready for bed. Scott was out with Allison and Mom had a late shift, so when he came back, I ordered him to take a shower.

I didn't know when he'd left clothes here but I knew I had two of his Henley's, a pair of dark jeans, and a pair of sweatpants that still fit him from when he'd gone to Beacon Hills High. So I threw his sweatpants at him and a pair of boxers fell onto the floor. "You have batman boxers?" I sputtered, shocked.

He glowered at me, swiping them off the floor, and I burst out laughing. He was blushing! Derek Hale was actually blushing! "I'm sorry, this is too funny," I wheezed, earning myself a red-eyed glare. But it just made me laugh all the harder and he fled into the bathroom. I took a few deep breaths, hearing the shower start, and flopped back onto my bed. Apparently, I was exhausted again, which didn't really surprise me, because I fell asleep before he'd gotten out of the shower.

I woke in the middle of the night, fighting my way free of the arm draped across my back. I was gasping, sweating, and shaking. Derek was awake instantly as I threw myself at the window, inhaling the cool night air. "What did you see?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind me.

"Nightmare," I told him, "Allison's grandfather went after you and Isaac. I couldn't do anything!"

"You're okay, Pixie, it was just a dream," he assured me. His head dropped and I felt him nuzzle the side of my face.

"Are you scenting me?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yes," he replied, completely unaffected. I sighed, but I was actually used to it. All of the Hales had done it, whether they meant to or not. Scott had started doing it, though he didn't do it often. But Derek knew it calmed me down, like listening to his heartbeat did. "Why shouldn't I? You're pack," he added. That was all I needed to hear to completely relax and Derek tugged me back to the bed he really didn't fit in. I fell asleep soon after Derek curled around me, his arms still wrapped around me.

The morning brought uneasy feelings from Isaac, but he was going to school. I also found a text from Lydia saying she was coming back to school, and she wanted me to wear a purple dress she'd bought me. I knew I had to give her that today, so I fought my way into the long sleeve, form fitting nightmare. Derek watched from the bed, chuckling quietly when I ordered him to help me. When he saw the low v-neck front, he threw my black leather jacket at me, scowling. "Please don't take that jacket off," he requested, making me roll my eyes. A black bead necklace and a pair of black wedges completed the outfit. I didn't even attempt to put my hair in anything except loose curls, knowing he'd just take it down.

"Keep an eye on Isaac for me today, please?" Derek requested when he dropped me off at school.

"Since you said please," I teased, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. As I did, I felt a spark of over protectiveness and knew I was going to turn around to see some idiot teenage boy staring. "Would you relax? I smell enough like you to drive a human boy away, never mind a werewolf," I murmured before I got out and to wait for Lydia and Allison on the walkway.

I was getting pulses of feelings from Scott and Stiles, but I brushed them off, since they were completely fine. Until of course, Scott figured out there was another werewolf. Territorial protectiveness and confusion made me realize he had no idea who the new wolf was. Isaac was relieved, so he was safe for now.

"You really don't remember anything?" Allison's voice made me turn around, forgetting about Scott and Isaac for a minute. The two girls joined me, and I fell in on Lydia' other side.

"They called it a fume state, which is basically a way of saying we have no idea why you can't remember running through the woods naked for two days. But, personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds," Lydia replied. I shook my head, thinking it was probably a good thing she didn't remember.

"Are you ready for this?" Allison asked, knowing perfectly well what rumors could do.

"Please, it's not like my aunt's a pseudo killer," the red-head sniped, opening the door.

Allison flared with hurt, and I touched her arm before we followed the other girl inside. We moved to either side of Lydia as everyone literally stopped and stared. Awkward confusion swarmed me and I sighed. "Maybe it's the nine pounds," Allison suggested softly to Lydia, who was confused and a little stricken.

"You're the Queen here, right?" I whispered to Lydia, feeling that she needed some kind of push. Then the red head flicked her hair back, lifted her chin, and strode down the hallway. Allison and I smiled at each other before we followed, and I glared around at everyone. Instantly, they went back to their own business, not one of them mentioning Lydia. That was much better.

At Lydia's locker, I excused myself to go down to the practice field, where Coach wanted me to go over a new play with him. He thought I needed to be familiar with all the plays so I could report which ones were the most successful in certain scenarios. It was easy enough to do; I just had to pay attention. I sat on the bench in the spot Coach had tossed the books, watching curiously as Stiles ran by with the goalie equipment from Danny.

After Scott laid out the first player, I kicked off my shoes and walked over to Coach. "Why'd you let him play goalie again?" I asked softly. Coach barked at Scott, but he just kept charging out of the goal to knock the attacker down. The defender leaned against his stick, standing out of Scott's way. When I realized my brother was sniffing them, it made sense. But I couldn't help but snicker when he sniffed Danny and told my best friend his cologne was nice.

Then Jackson stepped out of the line, knowing perfectly well that Scott would hit him hard. The co-captain walked passed me, leaving Isaac next in line. Isaac was fighting a shift, panting heavily through his nose, and I read Stiles' surprise and realization. The new Beta lowered his head as my brother met his eyes, but I knew it was a challenge, not submission. _'Shit! Scott's about to figure it out!'_ I realized, biting the pen in my hand.

The two wolves slammed into each other, landing on their hands and knees in the grass. They raised their heads, and I felt yellow eyes meet yellow. Realization flooded me from my brother and Derek's, so technically mine as well, Beta. Coach, thankfully, blew the whistle and startled the boys back into human, and with a jerk I felt my own eyes return to normal. I hadn't even felt them shift. Then the three of us heard the police radio, and turned to see Sheriff Stilinski and two officers approaching.

"Don't tell them," Isaac said, meeting Scott's eyes. "Please don't tell them," he begged. Scott nodded, and the boys got to their feet.

"Coach, can we speak with Isaac Lahey, please?" the Sheriff requested. Coach moved towards the cops, Isaac meeting my eyes as he walked by me.

"It'll be okay, Isaac. Just stay calm," I murmured, watching him walk away. Hurrying back to the bench, I checked on the boys who'd been hit by Scott. Danny was only winded, thankfully, and I hugged him before running over to my brother. I was still barefoot, having found that the grass was not easy to walk on in those particular shoes. "What's going on?" I asked Scott quietly.

"His father's dead," my brother told Stiles and I. "They think he was murdered."

"Are they saying he's a suspect?" Stiles asked.

"I'm not sure, why?" Scott replied.

"Because they can lock him in a holding cell for twenty-four hours," Stiles explained. I groaned softly, biting my lip, knowing this was really bad.

"What, like overnight?" Scott checked.

"During the full moon," Stiles told him. It was Isaac's first full moon, which made this ten times worse.

"How good are these holding cells at holding people?" my brother asked.

"People, good, werewolves, probably not that good," the other boy replied.

"Stiles, remember when I said I don't have the urge to maim and kill?" the wolf asked.

"Yeah," the human assured him.

"He does," Scott explained as Isaac looked over his shoulder. But he wasn't looking at Scott. He was looking right at me, worry and apprehension streaming down his ribbon. Coach dismissed us all to first class, and as I walked across the grounds, I called Derek to tell him about Isaac. They were allowing him to go to classes today, but the cops were here, interviewing teachers and students, looking for anyone who knew Mr. Lahey or Isaac. When he didn't answer, I left a message, hoping he actually listened to it.

Before last period, I was intending on calling Derek again but I was stopped by one of the secretaries from the main office. "Ami McCall?" she asked.

I got a glimpse of intimidation from her before she plastered on an appreciative smile as I replied, "Yes, ma'am."

"The Principle would like to see you in his office," she told me. I nodded, since she wasn't offering any more information on the subject, and followed quietly. She escorted me into the office, and I sat, relaxed but at attention. I had no reason to worry about this; I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Ms. McCall," a voice behind me said. I jerked around, seeing not my principle but Gerard Argent standing in the doorway. Confusion must have flashed across my face, because he continued, "Oh, how thoughtless of me. I'm sorry, my dear, you must have been expecting your former principle. I'm afraid he's unavailable to continue with the position, and I was more than happy to take up the role."

"Oh, well then, welcome to Beacon Hills High School, sir," I replied, meeting his eyes. It was easy for me to remember Victoria ordering me to meet her eyes when we spoke during a training session, and I really didn't want to get on his bad side. I hoped he couldn't hear my heart beating rapidly as he moved around the desk to sit. He had my folder open before him, and I watched curiously.

"You see, Ms. McCall, I was hoping you'd be able to do something for me," he explained, setting the folder on the desk.

"Sir?" I asked, digging my nails into my wrist to keep my voice from shaking with nerves.

"Your file says you've got perfect grades, and there's numerous notes from teachers assuring me that you're actually ahead in most of your classes. You've also got lacrosse manager and tutor here, so I see that you're well balanced with academics and extracurricular activities. I've heard that socially, you're quite a role model here, reaching into every corner of the school's population. But I was wondering if you could explain why you've got a number of absences on your record?" he replied.

My eyes widened, but I nodded. "Well, sir, it's a bit of a long story. When the school year started, animal attacks became frequent in town. The first three absences are due to one of these attacks. I was injured and unable to come to school. There should be a doctor's note in my file," I told him.

"There is, but I must admit I was curious. And not long after this you missed another five days of classes?"

"Yes sir. I was…" now I had to pause and look out the window. This was the first time I'd talked about the kidnapping since it had happened. "I was kidnapped, sir, and tortured. I was held for three nights, and then spent a weekend and three days in the hospital. I believe there is another doctor's note and a police report."

"And you don't know who kidnapped you?" he asked through a mask of concern. I straightened; this was a test. He knew it was Kate; he wanted to see how much I knew.

"No, sir, the only one I saw was the man who tortured me, and the police caught him," I assured him, meeting his eyes evenly. From the reading I was getting from his now olive green ribbon, I'd passed. He hadn't been expecting me to hold his gaze.

"Very well, Ms. McCall, I apologize if I touched an uncomfortable subject. If you wouldn't mind, the police would like to speak to you, since you were Mr. Lahey's tutor," he told me, standing.

"Of course, sir," I replied, but I stayed put. Jackson was sitting outside, and Principle Argent ushered him in to sit next to me. "Nice sweater, Jackson," I murmured. He smirked at me; I'd picked it out for him on one of Lydia's shopping trips.

"Jackson, Ami," Sheriff Stilinski joined us, a notepad in his hand. "We'll start with you, Jackson. Can you tell me anything about the Lahey's; unusual behavior, loud noises, things like that?"

"So, you mean, the shouting every night, the shattering glass, the way Isaac always seems to have a black eye or a split lip, that stuff?" the boy next to me replied. I turned to him, aghast, but he just shrugged at me.

"Wait, so you're telling me you knew Isaac's father was hitting him?" the Sheriff realized. I raised a hand to my mouth, understanding now.

"Hitting him? He was kicking the crap out of him," Jackson said like it was no big deal.

"Did you ever say anything to anyone, a teacher, parent, anyone?" the Sheriff asked.

Jackson was reading carelessness and arrogance, and I realized how very appropriate charcoal gray was for him. "Nope. It's not my problem." I raised an eyebrow at him, wanting to hit him.

"No, of course not," the Sheriff assured him sarcastically. I smirked, knowing Stiles hadn't gotten his sarcasm from nowhere. "You know it's funny that the kids getting beaten up are always the ones who least deserve it," Mr. Stilinski remarked.

"Yeah," Jackson agreed, and then thought his words over. "Wait what?"

"I think we're done with you," the Sheriff told him, dismissing him. Once the blonde had left, he turned to me, rubbing his temple. "Do you know Isaac well?"

"I know him well enough to know that he's ridiculously sweet and he's not capable of killing anyone, even if his father deserved it. But the beating makes sense. He told me once that his dad insisted his grades stay up, but I never realized he meant physically insisted. And Jackson's right; Isaac always seemed to be hurt. I brushed everything off as lacrosse injuries; I've seen them all get hurt pretty often," I sighed. I wished now that I'd asked; wished that I'd pushed him to tell me the truth.

"It's okay, Ami, it doesn't seem like anyone else knew either," he told me, lifting my chin. I nodded, and he escorted me out of the office. Stiles scrambled to hide his face with a magazine, and Scott's eyes widened comically. "Hi, Scott," the Sheriff said, and I could read annoyance and disbelief without the ribbon. "Come on, kiddo, let's get you to class," he told me, and I nodded gratefully.

"Heads up, Scott," I whispered, feeling Gerard coming out of the office. As I clicked down the hallway, I bit my lip, my brother reading anxious and nervous. Stiles was just reading sarcasm and annoyance. Sheriff Stilinski walked me to the door of Mr. Harris's room, where he promised once again that it would be okay. I nodded, grateful but still worried, and watched him walk away.

Then I turned and fled, running around to another door just as Scott reached it. He burst through and in the cruiser in front of us, Isaac turned around. Scott started to run down, but Sheriff Stilinski started the car and pulled out, leaving the two of us staring at a wide eyed Isaac. My brother turned back, heading for the door, but I'd already seen the Camaro. Derek's brakes squealed as he stopped, and Scott turned around. "Get in," the Alpha ordered us.

I hurried down the stairs immediately, but Scott stayed behind. "Are you serious?" my younger brother asked. I stopped by the door, looking back at him as I read annoyance, disbelief, and refusal. "You did that, that's your fault," Scott told Derek, pointing after Isaac.

Derek sighed, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses, as he said, "I know that. Now, get in the car and help me."

"No, I've got a better idea," the Beta told him, coming down the stairs. "I'm gonna call a lawyer, because a lawyer might actually have a chance at getting him out before the moon goes up."

"Not when they do a real search of the house," the Alpha told him.

"What do you mean?" the teen asked.

"Whatever Jackson said to the cops, what's in the house is worse. A lot worse," my older brother explained.

"Scott, we can't let the police hold Isaac. He has no idea what to do," I murmured, opening the door. Scott sighed, and I felt him give in as I climbed in the backseat. "I get shotgun on the way back," I grumbled, fighting with my dress. Scott slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door, allowing Derek to speed off.

When we got to Isaac's, Derek handed Scott and I flashlights, knowing we both preferred them to our wolf-eyes. I also wasn't sure I could shift without some kind of trigger. I didn't have much control over anything I could do lately. "If Isaac didn't kill his father, then who did?" Scott asked.

"I don't know yet," Derek replied calmly. Looking at him from behind, it didn't take much searching to see that he was going to tease Scott.

"Well then, how do you know he's telling the truth?" the smaller wolf pressed.

"Because I trust my senses, and it's a combination of them, not just your sense of smell," the Alpha replied, following Scott further into the house. I smirked as Derek took the jab at Scott, and felt the younger's wolf's embarrassment.

When I walked into the kitchen, my shoes crunched over broken china and glass. "You…saw the lacrosse thing today," Scott realized uncomfortably.

"Yeah," Derek replied, giving Scott an are-you-stupid look.

Scott sighed, and then asked, "Did it look that bad?"

"Yeah," the older wolf told him, and I couldn't help the small laugh. "You wanna learn, start now," the Alpha offered, opening the basement door. I walked over, but Derek caught my arm as Scott started down the stairs.

"What's down there?" my younger brother asked.

"Motive," my older brother replied, and I understood. This was where the beating had taken place. If the police searched this house, they'd find any number of reasons to think it had been Isaac.

"And what am I looking for?" Scott asked.

"Follow your senses," Derek advised.

"What happened down here?"

"The kind of thing that leaves an impression." I looked up at Derek, wanting to see, and he nodded. I slipped my shoes off and followed him down to where Scott was standing by a freezer. My brothers were reading two very different things. Derek was angry, guilty, and insistent. Scott was apprehensive, confused, and startled. "Open it," Derek ordered, having startled Scott with my flashlight.

I reached out to touch the freezer, just wanting to see what had caused to become horrified. The instant my fingers made contact, the whirlwind erupted in my head, the pixies vanishing. Images and emotions flew passed my eyes, steadily getting worse until Derek yanked my hand away from the freezer. I turned into his chest, tears running down my face as Scott realized, "This is why he said yes to you."

"Everyone wants power," Derek replied, absently wiping away my tears with one hand.

"If we help you, then you have to stop. You can't just go around turning people into werewolves," Scott told him. "And I better not find out that you bit Ami, so don't even think about it."

"I can if they're willing," Derek argued, still holding me tightly.

"Did you tell Isaac about the Argents, about being hunted?" Scott demanded.

"Yes, and he still asked," Derek replied. I looked up, a bright yellow pixie catching my attention. When I touched the ribbon, I saw dread.

"Then he's an idiot!" Scott declared.

"And you're the idiot dating Argent's daughter," Derek told him. I barely heard them now, since I was a little preoccupied. I touched the freezer again, this time searching for one image in particular. It was the oldest, the first, and the reason from the very beginning.

"Wait," Scott ordered, making us turn around. "I'm not part of your pack," he insisted. Then he looked down at the freezer, and I knew he was doing this for Isaac. "But I want him out. He's my responsibility too."

"Why, because he's one of us?" Derek asked.

"Because he's innocent," Scott hissed and I nodded proudly. Even if Scott wasn't part of the pack, Derek would benefit from Scott's hero complex. Then I got a reading on Scott and realized we'd run out of time. "Go, Ami, get Isaac out," he ordered.

"Allison's on her way," I assured him, knowing Allison had the chains from Stiles. Then I let Derek carry me up the stairs and out of the house to the Camaro. Allison joined Scott a minute later, and I urged Derek to hurry. "Isaac's already shifted," I cried.

"Cut Scott off, he's going to hurt you," he told me. He parked the Camaro down the road from the station, where we climbed into Stiles' Jeep. I had more room than in the Camaro, so I didn't end up flashing Stiles as I climbed in. Wishing I'd remembered not to wear heels on a full moon, I threw my shoes down in the back with a huff. Derek glanced at me, smirking, as we parked in front of the station.

"Okay, the keys to every cell are in a password protected lock box in my dad's office. The problem is getting by the front desk," Stiles told us.

"I'll distract her," Derek said simply, and my jaw dropped.

Stiles hand shot out, catching Derek's jacket as he protested, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, you? You're not going in there." I giggled when I saw Derek looking incredulously at Stiles hand then back at Stiles. He did this like three times before Stiles finally realized, "I'm taking my hand off."

"I was exonerated," Derek reminded him.

"You're still a person of interest, especially since they know you found Ami at the same house as Kate's dead body!" Stiles protested.

"An innocent person of interest," Derek corrected.

"You? Yeah, right," Stiles scoffed. Derek raised both eyebrows, and I just sat back to watch. "Okay, fine. What's your plan?" Stiles relented.

Derek looked away, and I realized he was so pulling a Scott. "To distract her," he said.

"Uh huh, how?" Stiles replied. Point to Stiles Stilinski. "By punching her in the face?"

"By talking to her," Derek sneered.

"Alright, okay, give me a sample," the Sheriff's son suggested. Derek huffed, looking away, and then looked back, wordless. "Dead silence, that should work beautifully, any other ideas?" he replied sarcastically. And win to Stiles

Derek looked back at me, but I just grinned. "Thinking about punching you in the face," he told Stiles, who was speechless for once.

"Okay, both of you knock it off. Derek, just smile at her. You'll have her in seconds. Stiles, shut your mouth and let me out," I finally cut in before it actually got violent.

Stiles and I peeked around the front door, and I had to press my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing at my brother. He was so bad at this! Stiles saw me struggling not to laugh and pulled me with him, sneaking us passed the sidetracked woman. We crept into the office, and Stiles went to lock box. But when I heard the jingle of keys not from Stiles, but from the hallway, I swore softly. Stiles and I hurried out, and ran right into the deputy. "Oh, uh, just looking for…" Stiles said, and we spotted two different things. Stiles saw the bloodstain and the arrow; I saw the syringe in his hand that smelled of Wolfsbane.

"Oh shit," we gasped, turning to run. He grabbed Stiles, covering the boy's mouth, and kicked my down onto the floor. When I got up, briefly overwhelmed by Allison's fear, a clouded, scrambled, not human thing, and Scott's worry, the fire alarm was ringing. I pulled my knives from the two thigh sheaths Victoria had given me and ran into the holding room in time to see Isaac slam the deputy against the wall.

Isaac was completely shifted, and his pixie was furry and wolfy. Stiles scrambled away as the syringe dropped to the ground, and I darted forward. Leaping up onto the desk, I crouched, knives ready. The deputy fell to the floor, out cold and I nodded. When the wolf and I both turned to the syringe, Derek came in and stomped on it. Then Isaac spotted Stiles, and I growled. He hissed, sounding way more cat-like than Derek or Scott, and stepped forward. Derek stepped in front of Stiles and I and roared. The effect was instantaneous.

Isaac jerked back, curling into a ball, his wolf overridden by submissive fear as he whimpered. But I yelped as my eyes shifted, and dropped my knives in pain. Allison, Stiles, and Isaac's fear, Scott and Derek's anger, and my own pain filled my head even as I forced myself to drop off the desk and run to Isaac. I wrapped my arms around him as we both looked up at Derek. Isaac had been forced out of the shift, but I'd been forced into it.

"How did you do that?" Stiles asked. The human was still sitting on the floor.

Derek looked over at him and explained simply, "I'm the Alpha." Stiles eyebrows went up, but he didn't say anything.

In my arms, Isaac whimpered, and I ran my fingers through his hair. "Shhh, Isaac, sweetie, you're okay. Derek wasn't trying to hurt you; he just wanted you to stop. I know, he didn't do it very nicely," I assured him.

Derek leveled a look at me, but I glared at him with still purple eyes. "This is why you're the pack-mom," he sighed, picking up my knives. He went to help me up, but Isaac flinched away.

The Alpha backed away, and I helped Isaac stand. "And that's why the big bad Alpha is going to go get the car," I told him, fighting back Scott and Allison's pixies. Derek sighed and left, leaving Isaac and I to follow. It was a lot harder to hug Isaac now that he was standing, so I settled for just holding his hand. Looking back at Stiles, he waved me away, surveying the room. "Come on, sweetie," I murmured to the shaking boy, guiding him after me.

"Your eyes," he finally said, following docilely.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. My father was a werewolf, but we don't know why they're purple," I replied. The Camaro pulled up, and I tucked Isaac into the passenger seat. "Stay," I ordered Derek, not feeling particularly inclined to be nice to him. I stalked over to the Jeep, swiping my shoes from the back before I returned to Derek's door. He got out with a sigh, sliding his seat forward so I could climb in the back. When I was seated, I took Isaac's hand again and watched him play with my fingers, comparing the size of our hands. Once he got back in, I slapped Derek upside the head, earning myself a glare in the mirror. With my free hand, I pointed to my glowing eyes.

I'd been trying to avoid shifting on the full moon, because I didn't know whether or not I could shift back on my own. Derek drove to the train depot, where I found our air mattresses inside one of the train cars. He threw me my duffel bag and his sweats, nodding to Isaac. "Here, sweetheart, put these on. I'll be right back, okay?" I said, handing them to him. He nodded mutely and I slipped my hand free. Hurrying into the other car, I wrestled with my dress, trying to get the zipper. Frustrated, I snarled, and Derek chuckled. He unzipped it for me, and I yanked it off with annoyance. Two months ago I probably would have turned bright red having been seen in my underwear by my older brother, but after he'd slept in boxers for a few nights, I didn't really care.

I managed to get my tank top on without issue, but Derek stopped me when I pulled on my pajama pants. He pointed to the sheaths and I explained, "Victoria said every huntress should be able to wear her favorite dress and still carry weapons." He held out his hand and I dropped them into his palm with a sigh. Shaking my head at him, I finished dressing and ran back out to Isaac. He was sitting in a tiny ball on the mattress, looking unsure of himself. "Come on, sweetie, let's get some sleep," I murmured, curling up on my side. It took a few minutes but eventually Isaac lay down beside me, our finger tips brushing.

Early the next morning, when I woke, Isaac was curled around me, his nose buried in my shoulder. I was holding his hand, his arm draped over my waist. Looking up, I saw Derek watching us, a small fond smile on his face. "It's over?" I murmured. He nodded, and I relaxed, my eyes closing again. "Derek?" I asked.

"Ami?" he replied.

Just before I drifted back to sleep, I told him, "I like being pack-mom."


	19. Ice Pick

**Author's Note: underlined stuff is texts.**

**Marine- you're very welcome **

**Sarah-My intention was to create Ami as Derek's gentler side, kinda of like Scott and Stiles balance each other. And yes, drama ahead **

**Teresa- I hope so!**

Chapter 19-Ice Pick

"You going to be okay, sweetheart?" I asked Isaac softly. I was sitting beside him, putting on my shoes.

"Can you bring me back White Fang this time?" he asked hopefully. I smiled and stood, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of his curly hair. Even if it was just for a few hours, I didn't particularly want to leave Isaac alone while I went to work, but I didn't have much choice. After we'd taken him from the police station, he'd become a fugitive; he couldn't come to the store and be seen. Derek was back at the den, and I wondered how long it would take for the house to be done.

At the bottom of the stairs, I looked back at him worriedly, but if I didn't leave now I'd be late. "I'll be back at nine thirty, sweetie," I called, and then hurried up the wooden stairs. It didn't take very long to walk to the store from the depot, which was why Derek was fine with me walking. Though the condition for walking was sensible shoes, so I was wearing flat boots with my oversized sweater and leggings. Bandit saw me before Erica did and bounded over to wind around my legs. Erica looked up, giving me a shy smile when she saw me. The blonde was wearing plain jeans and a baggy sweatshirt with sneakers, her hair pulled back in a messy bun. She didn't speak as she handed me the keys to the register, taking an old backpack with her as she left.

I watched her sadly, her cerulean blue ribbon pulsing with weakness and tiredness. Derek had said he'd only give the bite to those who were willing. Erica would be willing, wouldn't she? There had to be any number reasons for her to accept the bite. The problem was if Derek would be able to present his nice side to her. As I sat down at the counter to check the register, I fished my phone out of my bag, a little worried.

"How many Betas do you want?" I finally asked after debating with myself for a while.

"Three if Scott won't accept."

"I think I found another for you, if you don't mind a she-wolf."

"Ami, I don't mind you, I think I can handle a full she-wolf."

I smiled at the sarcasm and stuck my tongue out at my phone. "Her name is Erica Reyes. She's epileptic."

"She the one who works with you?"

It didn't surprise me that he knew who she was. He seemed to be everywhere now; seemed to see everything now. "Do you want me to talk to her about it?"

"No. I'll take care of it. You just worry about Isaac's books." After that, I got up to help a customer, Bandit following me contently.

I was sitting down when Allison's fear pulsed down her ribbon. It quickly shifted to panic and I gripped a knife in the top of my boot. Bandit came over, nudging me and whining, but I relaxed when I saw Chris's hunter green ribbon beside Allison. There was another, younger hunter with them, and I watched him curiously. _'Were they training Allison?'_

_Anger. Disbelief. Realization. It was my mother who was calling the shots._

Two and half hours and a lot of annoyance later, Allison was free of whatever binds she'd been put in and was leaving what felt like the Hale house. I caught a brief flash of triumph before she got in the car and I sighed. Vehicles blocked my readings, probably because there was nothing natural about them. But I watched the other hunter curiously. He was proud of her and he liked Allison's fiery spirit. I didn't know him, so there was no color to his ribbon as it pulsed with confusion. Allison was gone, but that clouded, mottled being was back.

The hunter drew a weapon, the gun bringing him a brief sense of security before he fell. He was panicking, and I watched, confused, as his ribbon went perfectly still. Then the cloudy ribbon moved closer and the hunter' ribbon was ripped into shreds. I gasped, my eyes shooting open as I realized I'd watched the hunter be murdered. My hands were shaking so badly that it took me a long time to close and lock up the store. Thankfully, I'd gotten Isaac's books at the beginning of my shift, because I probably would have forgotten them if I hadn't.

Once the doors were locked, I bolted, my heart pounding in my ears. Derek was coming out of the depot when I slammed into him at full speed. I fell back, startled, but he wrapped his arm around me and yanked me inside, closing the door behind us. "Ami, what happened? I could hear your heart beat from here," he said as he carried me into the sleeping car.

It took me a minute of deep breaths with my ear resting over Derek's heart to calm down. Isaac crawled over cautiously as I spoke. "I was watching Allison train. There was another hunter with her, keeping an eye on her. After she left, that cloudy scrambled being showed up. It paralyzed the hunter and then it ripped him to shreds," I explained. The two wolves kept quiet, opting to just curl around me on either side. Isaac was at my back, his arm over my waist, his head resting on my shoulder. Derek pulled me under his chin, letting me use his arm as a pillow as he held me. Eventually, I slept, unable to fight the warmth of the two werewolves curled on either side of me.

The next day brought a normal day of school and a fun challenge in PE. Coach had set up the climbing wall and threw the harnesses at Jackson and I first. The boy raised an eyebrow at me once we'd gotten hooked up to the wall and I smirked. Danny, standing off to the side, rolled his eyes, but called, "Go!" Jackson started up the wall and I leaped upwards, barely touching the rocks. We were evenly matched for once. Jackson was stronger with a further reach, but I was faster with smaller feet, so I could use all the little rocks he couldn't. Our hands shot out to tag the top at the same time and collided painfully. "Tie!" Danny yelled before we could start arguing over who'd won. We both turned to glare down at him and dropped down the wall.

"Other McCall and Argent!" Coach barked once we got our harnesses off. I tossed mine to Allison, since it would be more her size than Scott's, but Jackson slammed his into my brother's chest. Scott didn't even blink, he just took the harness. "Hey, tiny McCall, Whittemore, take a lap," Coach called. We shrugged and took off, Jackson taking the lead instantly. I fell in behind him, my eyes trained on his back as I managed to keep up. We got back to the group in time to see Allison kick my brother off the wall.

Laughing softly at my brother, I helped him up, and then helped Erica into her harness. "You don't have to do this," I murmured to the blonde. She didn't reply, instead she started up the wall as Stiles monkeyed his way up. She stopped about twelve feet up, looking down at me. I motioned for her to come down and she started panicking.

Everyone moved closer, murmuring, as Coach called, "Erica, you dizzy? Is it vertigo?"

"Vertigo's a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear," Lydia told him. "She's just freaking out."

"Lydia, quiet," I ordered.

"Erica?" Coach called.

"I'm fine," the blonde replied. But she was terrified and embarrassed.

"Coach, maybe it's not safe," Allison started.

"You know she's epileptic, right?" I asked, shoving people backwards off the mats.

"Why doesn't anyone tell me this stuff?" Coach complained. "Erica, you're fine. Just kick off from the wall. There's a mat to catch you," he called up to the panicking girl.

I sighed and moved them all back. "Erica, sweetie, you're okay. Just listen to my voice. You won't get hurt. Just hold onto the rope and lean back from the wall. It'll be slow, you won't fall," I called gently. She came down and I caught her, steadying her on her feet as I helped her out of the harness.

"That's it, you're on the ground. Shake it off, you're fine," Coach told her. I glared at him as Erica walked away and looked around as people laughed at her.

Looking around, I clenched my jaw and snapped, "Everyone who just laughed gets to run three laps."

"Ami, you can't make us do that!" one girl protested.

"Except for the fact that I am, Jessica," I snarled. "Start running!" People backed away before they turned to run around the gym and I was glad to see that nobody tried to claim they hadn't laughed. After class, people weren't angry at me, instead most of them were ashamed. I didn't understand why someone's suffering could make people happy or amused, but maybe that was just Scott and I.

In the locker room, I sat down on a bench, my head spinning. I tried to focus on changing out of my gym clothes, but only managed to get my shorts off and pull my jeans on before blood filled my mouth. Gagging, I saw Erica's ribbon start shaking and ran for the gym. "Erica!" I cried as she fell from the wall. But I felt Scott race past me, and he caught her. "Thank god," I murmured, hurrying over with Allison. "Turn her on her side," I ordered my brother. Erica gasped, clutching Scott's hand as I smoothed her hair, murmuring to her softly.

After the ambulance took Erica away, I shakily got my feet, everyone's emotions hitting me all at once. "Allison," I murmured as the tall girl walked by. She turned in time to see me stumble and caught my elbow. "Just walk normally," I requested as she headed for the locker room. The huntress guided me to the bench, where she helped me sit. Listening to her steady heart beat refocused me, allowing me to look up at her with a smile and move to finish changing.

My dark purple stilettos clicked as I strode out of the locker room, texting Derek that if he wanted to turn Erica, he needed to move now. I had a research period for history after PE for a project I'd already turned in, so I was able to find a quiet corner in the library to watch as Derek approached Erica. She was nervous, disbelieving, and curious, but the worst feeling I got was smitten. My brother was clever and smug with his success. She'd heard him out, heard all the risks, and still accepted.

_Charcoal gray distraction, then realization, and finally anger. I'd gotten the bite, and so had Lydia. But she was immune, and I'd rejected it. She had done this to me. _

"Crap," I muttered, grabbing my bag as I hurried for the door. I reached Lydia just as her magenta ribbon pulsed with fear. She didn't have a clue why Jackson was so upset, so angry. "Jackson!" I called, making him clench a fist in annoyance. He turned, his jaw clenched in anger, leaving Lydia pressed against the wall. Just in front of me, he turned to look back at her, reading regret and shame. Then he stalked away and Lydia fled into the bathroom. I wanted to follow, knowing she was crying, but I also knew she just wanted to be alone.

Then I got a text from Derek. "Erica healing fast. Come out to parking lot," he told me. Shaking my head, I dropped my books off at my locker and clicked out the doors. Derek was waiting, leaning against the Camaro. Erica was sitting in the backseat, the pain nearly gone from her ribbon. "Full moon made her heal faster," he explained when I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Look, she needs to make an impression with her transformation. Care to help?"

"By doing what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Take her shopping to get an outfit that will knock everyone on their asses," he replied. Grinning widely at his plan, I nodded and ducked into the passenger seat. It was a good thing I had free period right now. Within minutes of leaving school, we were pulling up at the Beacon Hills Mall, and Erica and I crawled out. Derek followed me as I took Erica's hand and pulled her into Macy's, knowing exactly where to go.

"We'll come back tonight and get you more clothes, but for now, let's just find an outfit to go back to school in, okay?" I told her. She nodded, allowing me to hand her a white shirt and black mini skirt. She, of course, was bigger than me; otherwise I would have let her borrow my clothes for this. Then I hunted around the section until I found a black leather jacket. Derek nodded his approval as I handed it to her and sent her to the changing rooms. When she came out, I clapped happily. "Do you want leopard, tiger or colored zebra print shoes to go with that?" I asked.

"Leopard," she decided, and I went searching for the perfect pair as she changed out of the clothes. When I handed her the shoes, she looked a little surprised to find they were the correct size. Then I whisked her away to the checkout, where Derek procured his credit card. To my relief, there was a hair and nail salon there in the mall, and the woman understood immediately when I explained what I needed for Erica. Derek paid for this as well, and I was glad I'd gone with Macy's brands instead the super high end stuff they sold. I didn't have a clue where the Alpha stood financially.

I ended up bringing her to the makeup store in the mall, where they taught my Beta how to create the look they were doing for her. Derek bought the whole makeup kit for the blonde, and I realized he was taking this all as pack takes care of its own. He'd bought Isaac a leather jacket, since the boy didn't really need a new wardrobe, and I knew he'd do the same for the last Beta he created.

When Derek pulled back up to school, Erica and I got out of the Camaro. It was lunch time now, so she'd make the perfect impression. She'd changed into her new outfit at the mall, so all we had to do was go back inside for the whole school to see it. I left my bag in the backseat, not intending on returning for the single class I had after lunch and strode up the walkway beside her. All around us, heads were turning, and I grinned at the taller girl. She laughed, and I realized how nice of a sound it was as I opened the door. Shock, awe, envy, amazement, and desire swirled around my head, but they were shallow feelings, making them easy enough to ignore.

No, it was Scott and Stiles' reactions I wanted to read as I slipped into the café behind her. I strode over to my younger brother, leaned over his shoulder, and whispered, "I picked her." Then I returned to the café doors and took the apple from her when she walked by. Smirking, we left the school again, and I waited for Scott and Stiles to burst through the doors after us before climbing into the backseat. Erica flashed the boys a grin before she got in, and Derek grinned triumphantly at Scott before speeding out of the parking lot.

Scott's anger with Derek and hurt towards me were easy to read, but I really only cared about the hurt. He didn't have any right to feel betrayed. I'd tried to stand by him when he'd been bitten, but he hadn't let me. He'd seen me as weak, as too afraid to handle everything and had relied on Stiles alone. He'd never taken Derek seriously; now he refused to join the pack because he thought the arrogant, power hungry Alpha was the real Derek. As much as I loved Scott as my brother, and was proud of his growing up and taking responsibility, I wasn't going to let him ruin having a pack for the first time in almost seven years.

Derek dropped me off at work, and then took Erica shopping for more clothes. I found I didn't really need to pay attention to them, since Derek was mostly amused, and Erica was ecstatic. So I decided to keep an eye on my other brother, starting to feel really bad about the way I'd been treating him.

_Anger. Why couldn't Derek ever listen to me? Frustration. Why was Ami letting him do this? Shame. I couldn't blame her for picking him over me; he'd been so much better to her. Worry. Sure, the bite had worked on Isaac and Erica, but how many times was Derek going to risk the life of a teenager before he was satisfied? Hopelessness. How was I supposed to protect the new Betas, keep Ami safe, stay away from the hunters, play my best at lacrosse, and not fail every class at school?_

When the jar of sand finally fell through Scott's hands I realized how seriously he was taking the fact that the Betas were his responsibility. Then Dr. Deaton's cadmium green ribbon started reading reassurance and wisdom, and Scott calmed. When Scott read unsure, resignation, and finally delighted surprise, I had to look closer. Then I sat upright, startling Bandit. Deaton was paying Scott two fifty more an hour! I couldn't help but laugh softly at Scott's reaction and relaxed. He'd be just fine. Plus, he was going ice skating with Allison, Stiles, and Lydia tonight.

Derek picked me up at six, dropping off Erica in my place. Bandit growled at Erica when she first came in, and I knew the transformation was almost done. But then he was fine, and I was able to pass off the keys and get in the Camaro, two new books for Isaac tucked under my arm. As I buckled, Derek leaned over, startling me as he pressed his face into my neck. "Sorry," he muttered, "but you smell like pack and I kind of need it."

"She dragged into the perfume store, didn't she?" I asked. He nodded as he sat up and I laughed. "What else is bothering you?" I pressed, though I had a pretty good guess.

"Erica made a suggestion for the third Beta. Do you know a Boyd?" he replied.

"Vernon Boyd, yeah. His locker is next to mine. He's a big loner, though he's perfectly nice. I don't really know much about him other than he lives with his parents and they're pretty poor. Boyd works at the ice rink in town after school," I told him.

"Do you think he'd say yes?" he asked.

"Yeah. He'll be drawn to the idea of belonging somewhere, of having others by his side. If he's willing to risk it," I assured him. He nodded thoughtfully and pulled the Camaro up to the depot. Getting out, I grimaced at the filthy puddle I had to walk through to get to the door. "When I the den going to be done? I hate this place," I asked.

"Everything should be done by spring," he replied, following me in. That's when I really looked at his outfit. He was wearing a plain gray tank top under a black running jacket with jeans and sneakers. It made him look younger, like a college kid, but the stubble brought out all the angles of his jaw and cheekbones. All in all, it made for a very attractive, bad ass vibe.

"You seduced Erica, didn't you?" I asked quietly, pausing at the top of the stairs. "When did you figure out how to charm people?" I realized as he gave me a look.

"When you told me to smile at that cop," he told me, moving around me. Seeing a perfect opportunity, I leaped onto his back, clinging piggyback style as he walked down the stairs. Isaac was waiting, and he hurried over to take his books and my bag from me. "I'm ordering food, what do you want, Isaac?" Derek called as the Beta walked away.

"Can I have sausage pizza?" the younger wolf asked shyly.

"Of course you can, sweetie. If you don't mind me stealing a piece," I replied, jumping down once I'd kicked off my shoes. He grinned at me, and I plopped down in his lap. He immediately rested his chin on my shoulder, and Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh, stop it. Just because you can't show them affection doesn't mean I can't," I told him.

Then, to my surprise, he tossed a box to Isaac. The wolf caught it, regardless of the fact that I was sitting on him, and stared down at it. "You bought me a phone?" he asked, looking up at Derek in shock.

"Pack takes care of its own," I told him, opening it when he didn't. We spent the next hour setting the phone up once Derek assured me it had already been activated. I programmed Derek, Scott, Stiles, and my phone numbers in, and then added Coach, Allison, and my mom just in case. I didn't know Erica's number off the top of my head, but figured he could get it from her on his own. When the pizza arrived, the Beta handed me the first piece of sausage and proceeded to eat the entire thing.

I remembered that I needed to ask Derek what he was doing for work when I saw that the Alpha had eaten an entire large pizza and half of a second on his own. Isaac snagged a piece of the remaining pizza, making me shake my head. At one point in time I had thought Stiles and Scott ate a lot. But now that they were wolves, Scott and Isaac easily ate twice as much as Stiles, and Derek doubled the Betas without blinking. I could barely eat two pieces of pizza, let alone the amount they shoveled into their mouths. A kind of latter formed in my head, and I knew we were going to spend a lot of money on food. If I ate like a human teenage girl, a human adult or a teenage she-wolf doubled me. One human teenage boy doubled that. Teen wolves doubled their human counterparts, leaving adult wolves at the very top with a ridiculous amount of food.

Derek left to pick Erica up from work, and ended up bringing Boyd back with them. It was a little unexpected, but not surprising. I took the two Betas out onto the floor to give Boyd some privacy as Derek spoke to him about being a werewolf. In the end, Boyd said yes, and I winced as Derek bit him. A coppery brown pixie flitted to the front of my mind, and I smiled. "Ami?" Isaac waved his hand in front of my face, and I laughed as he caught my attention. He grinned down at me and I dove at him, tackling him to the depot floor. I might have been small, but even I could use the basic law of gravity to my advantage. We wrestled, and he easily pinned me to the floor before Erica kicked off her heels and jumped on his back. I was just glad she'd changed out of her skirt in favor of black skinny jeans.

"Erica!" Derek called, and we looked up from sitting on Isaac to see him at the base of the stairs with Boyd. She got up, putting her shoes back on, and I stopped her to hug her before she left. Then Isaac tossed me over his shoulder and carried me into the sleeping car to dump me on the mattress. I laughed as I landed, but Isaac stepped out so I could change into pajamas. When I called him back, he sprawled on the mattress beside me, and I stared up at the roof of the car. After two nights of sharing a mattress with him, I'd learned that I liked having him there. It was reassuring, like Derek, but more innocent than bonded like I was to Derek. It was also Isaac who craved the contact and comfort instead of me needing Derek there to sleep without nightmares.

I dozed off only to be jolted awake by Lydia's horror and fear. Stiles' confusion, Scott's worry, and Allison's dread reached me as Isaac and Derek shot upright on either side of me. "What is that?" Isaac gasped.

"Lydia," I gasped, the redhead's screams sounding in my head instead of to my ears. "She's…I think she hallucinated," I realized, scrambling for my phone. Scott picked up instantly when I tried him, not even bothering to say hi. "What's happening, why is she freaking out?" I demanded.

"She says she saw Peter Hale trapped under the ice, alive," he told me. I could hear Allison and Stiles talking to Lydia, trying to calm her down, but the other girl was sobbing.

Reaching for her magenta ribbon, the pixie came quickly, pulsing confusion and fear and horror. Closing my eyes, I imagined it like a screen so I could see what had happened. My eyes shot open when I saw, and I told Scott, "She did. Scott, she saw Wolfsbane on the ice. Get her out of there right now." He assured me he was trying then hung up. Derek took my phone as I fell back onto the mattress, thoroughly concerned. Isaac curled around me, growling protectively. I reached up, threading my fingers through his hair, murmuring that I was okay. Derek's eyes eventually faded back to normal and he took my other hand as he laid back down. "Did Peter's bite do this to her?" I asked him.

"It's the only explanation I can think of," he admitted, and I nodded, but sleep was a long time coming.

Danny had to buy me three coffees the next morning to get me through our classes. I had to get my headache medication from Stiles in Chemistry, because it seemed like the more tired I was, the more the pixies liked to race around inside my head at full speed, all of them chittering and squeaking and babbling. By the time I got to lunch with Danny, all I could do was slump into a seat across from Jackson and put my head down on the table. I couldn't even hold onto Stiles' ribbon long enough to figure out why he was freaking out about an empty table.

When I got in the Camaro after school, Derek handed me another, stronger headache medication. He must have known the other had done absolutely nothing. Suddenly Jackson's pixie popped up with a burst of fear and shock, but I couldn't see it long enough to know why.

_Hunter green realization. Jackson's still looking to get the bite._

_Charcoal gray fear._ _Why the hell was there a dead guy at Derek's house?_

_Bright yellow urgency. Gotta find Boyd, gotta find Boyd, holy shit that's Erica._

_Cerulean blue amusement. The geek was trying to keep his eyes off me, ha!_

_Bright yellow pain, then nothing. _"Why did Erica just knock out Stiles?" I demanded, sitting up.

"So he won't interfere," Derek told me smugly. I raised an eyebrow, realizing we'd pulled up in front of the ice rink where Boyd worked. Scott was already here.

_Cadmium green confusion. Why was there a dead man on my table?_

_Hunter green satisfaction. Deaton was exactly what I'd suspected._

Derek helped me out of the Camaro, but it was Isaac-wherever he'd come from-that actually walked me onto the ice. Erica walked on my other side, having run here easily. Derek was giving off a weird feeling, but I couldn't really read it. It was smug, confident, and arrogant even. The ribbons were blurry, which hopefully meant the headache medicine was working. Then my brother pulled me up to his side, standing me at his shoulder as we stopped.

"If you're looking for friends, you can do a lot better than Derek," Scott told Boyd as Isaac and Erica stopped behind us. The big teen was sitting up on the zamboni, silent.

"That really hurt, Scott," Derek said, making both boys look over. "I mean, if you're going to review me, at least take a consensus. Erica, how's life been for you since we met?"

Derek's ribbon was curling around Isaac and Erica, influencing them the way an Alpha could. It turned my pups into arrogant, confident badasses. "In a word, transformative," the blonde replied, growling as her fangs elongated. Scott shifted his weight, but his ribbon was strong, sure of himself.

"Isaac?" Derek asked.

"Well, I'm a little bummed about being a fugitive, but other than that, I'm great," Isaac told Scott.

"Okay, hold on, this isn't exactly a fair fight," Scott protested.

"Then go home, Scott," Derek replied, his smugness growing. Derek nodded, and Erica and Isaac moved towards my younger brother with great pleasure.

But Scott wasn't leaving Boyd when he thought he could still save him. My younger brother slammed his fist down into the ice, shifting instantly. He looked up, telling Derek, "I meant fair for them." He roared, and Isaac and Erica launched themselves at him, both completely wolfed out.

"Derek, what are you doing?" I asked softly as the Betas fought.

"Making a point," he told me, still not looking at me.

I gasped when my brother threw Isaac across the rink to slam into the boards. "Stop them!" I ordered as Scott kicked Erica into Boyd's zamboni. As I watched, listening to the three wolves' growl and snarl, I tried to figure out Derek's motive for this.

Scott kicked Derek's Betas' butts easily, standing over the two as they lay on the ice. Derek still had that smug smile on his face, and now I was worried. "Don't you get it; he's not doing this for you! He's just adding to his own power, okay, it's all about him. He makes you feel like he's giving you some kind of gift when all he's done is turn you into a bunch of guard dogs!" Scott told the Betas, sliding them across the ice to Derek's feet.

"It's true, it is about power," Derek told Scott.

"No, Derek, don't!" I grabbed his arm, but he shook me off as his claws shot out. I watched him approach my younger brother, hearing his roar as he shifted. "No!" I cried as he head butted Scott. "Derek, stop!" I screamed, Scott's pain from the slashes making me move closer. "Stop it!" I gasped, scrambling closer as Scott elbowed Derek in the face, making the Alpha stumble back. But Derek was enjoying this. Scott was powerful for an Omega.

But the last straw was when Derek slammed Scott onto his back and my younger brother spat out blood. Derek went to put his foot on Scott's chest and I launched myself forward into Derek's knees. The Alpha fell, rolling to his feet on Scott's other side, roaring at me. But the power behind the roar didn't affect me when I was this angry. I roared right back at him, crouching over Scott, furious purple meeting astonished red. "Do you get it?" I demanded, knowing the truth. "Your power doesn't come from just having two, now three brand new Betas in your pack! Whether or not either of you like it, Scott is part of this pack, and you both get your power from the fact that the other is strong!"

But Derek just snarled, rising to his feet. I sensed that he was going to leap over me and grab Scott, and snarled, "Enough! You made your point. Now walk away!"

To my relief, he did, shifting back as he looked at Boyd. The black kid jumped down off the zamboni chair as Scott gasped in pain. I turned, my eyes dropping back to normal blue as I cradled Scott's head in my lap. "Don't!" Scott told him, realizing Boyd was going to follow the Alpha. "You don't want to be like him."

"You're right," Boyd told him, and I looked up, surprised. Then, lifting his sweatshirt to reveal the healing bite on his side, he added, "I want to be like you." Scott and I watched him walk after Derek and Isaac and Erica got to their feet, and I bowed my head to rest it on Scott's shoulder. Isaac was reading hurt that I'd chosen Scott over them. Erica was angry with me. Boyd actually admired Scott and I. And Derek…Derek was furious with me.

"What have I done?" I murmured.

"The right thing," Scott assured me, shifting back to human.

"Then why do I feel so horrible?" I asked, helping him to his feet. In my head, I felt Stiles wake up and find himself in a dumpster, and I sighed. Scott hugged me, allowing me to help him limp off the ice. We headed for the clinic, since Scott needed to be at work, but he was soon able to walk perfectly fine. I was the one limping in exhaustion when Scott let us in the back door of the clinic. "Let me see your side," I murmured.

He lifted up his shirt and I winced at the vivid redness of the wound. "Why aren't you healing?" he asked.

"Because it's from an Alpha," Dr. Deaton told us, startling both of us into dropping Scott's shirt back down. We saw the very dead man lying on the table and I gasped. Scott looked at his boss in confusion, shock, and then dread as the man continued, "I think maybe we better have that talk now."

I walked over to the man, realizing how young he was, and touched his arm. A colorless pixie drifted forward, but he was pulling a shredded, lifeless ribbon. As I realized it was the hunter who'd been killed at the Hale House, I grimaced and backed away. In need of distraction, I rifled through the ribbons I could see, and touched Jackson's.

My friend was frustrated and angry, not to mention confused. He still didn't know why the bite hadn't worked for him. I stuck with him, watching as he grew more and more frustrated and wished I could call him. But I couldn't tell him how'd I knew, so I just kept watching. I saw him fall in the mud as he tried to push his truck, and then to my absolute shock, he lifted it clear out of the mud. Shock and then triumph washed over me and I realized that maybe the bite had worked after all. But Jackson couldn't shift, so did that put him in the same boat as me?


	20. Abomination

**Author's Note: Gamer Kid 137, yep it will be continued! And thanks **

**Marine-I'm glad! **** Thanks for reviewing again**

Chapter 20-Abomination

"Ami, get the gauze please," Doc requested, jolting me into releasing Jackson's ribbon. I moved to the drawers as the vet pulled out rubbing alcohol and tape and a cotton swab. "They're coming back, so we don't have much time to talk," he told Scott, who was holding up his shirt to bare the wound. The vet was pulsing with urgency, yet he was keeping Scott calm.

"What is that?" my brother asked nervously.

"Rubbing alcohol. You don't want it to get infected do you?" the older man replied. I hissed as I felt the burn in my head and held out the gauze "It'll heal the same, just not as quickly because of Derek," the vet explained.

"Okay, how do you know all this?" Scott asked. "Actually, how do you know anything?"

"It's a longer story," Deaton replied, taping the gauze over the wound. "What I can tell is that I know about your kind. Your kind I can help." Then he turned to look at the hunter on the table and added, "This, this is something different."

"Do you know what did it?" Scott asked as I quickly cleaned up, running things back to their places.

"No, but the Argents will. And this is the crucial part. They'll have some kind of record or book. It'll have descriptions, histories, notations of all the things they've discovered," Doc told my brother.

"All the things? How many different things are there?" Scott asked, worried. Then the SUVs pulled up, and Scott grabbed me around the waist. He held me against him in Deaton's office, closing the door and hiding as the Argents came in.

"I'm starting to think I need to buy a more prominent closed sign," Deaton remarked as Chris's ribbon stopped behind him. The hunter was resigned, and moved aside as a darker olive ribbon came in. The big, brutish lackey I ignored; he was just muscle.

"Hello, Alan," Gerard said, making my eyes widen. They knew each other? "It's been a while," the old hunter remarked, moving closer. Deaton read brief confusion as he took a step back, but Gerard continued, "Last I heard you'd retired."

"Last I heard, you followed a code of conduct," Deaton replied acidly. I felt my eyes shift at the reminder, but Scott tightened his arms around me.

"If you hadn't noticed, this body is one of ours," Chris told the vet.

"I did. I also noticed the gun powder residue on his fingertips, so don't assume I'll be swayed by your philosophy just because I'll answer a few questions," Deaton told him flatly.

Gerard perked up, a little surprised as Chris said through a clenched jaw, "He was only twenty-four."

"Killers come in all ages," Deaton replied, looking pointedly at Gerard.

"All ages, sizes, shapes. It's the last one that concerns us," the old hunter told him.

"How about you tell us what you found?" Chris suggested.

They moved to stand around the body, and Deaton asked, "See this cut?" I blanched at the sound of dead flesh moving as the vet turned the hunter's head to expose a slice on the back of his neck. "Precise, almost surgical, but this isn't the wound that killed him. This had a more interesting purpose."

"Relating to the spine?" Gerard asked.

"That's right. Whatever made this cut was laced with a paralytic toxin potent enough to disable all motor functions," Deaton told them. If the hunter had been paralyzed first that could explain why his ribbon had frozen before I'd seen it be ripped apart. "These are the cause of death. Notice the patterns on each side?"

"Five for each finger," Chris acknowledged.

"Each claw," Gerard corrected his son. This instantly made Chris suspicious; guessing his father already knew what had done this.

"As you can see, it dug in, slashed upward, eviscerating the lungs and slicing through the bone of the ribcage with ease," Deaton told them. I looked up at Scott, a little afraid, because this thing sounded really vicious.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Chris asked.

"No," Deaton shook his head.

"Any idea at all what killed him?" Chris pressed.

"No, but I can tell you it's fast, remarkably strong, and has the capacity to render its victims essentially helpless within seconds," Deaton told Gerard. I really didn't like the sound of that.

"If you're saying we should cautious, we get it," Chris assured him.

"I'm saying you should be afraid," Deaton corrected. "Be very afraid, because in the natural world, predators with paralytic toxins use them to catch and eat their prey. This prey wasn't eaten. That means whatever killed him only wanted to kill him. In fact, killing may be its only purpose." Scott swallowed; dread pulsing down his ribbon as I leaned my head against his bicep, my eyes squeezed shut. This night just got worse and worse.

Once the Argents left, taking the body with them, Scott took off, checking his phone. I knew he was meeting Allison tonight, so I didn't follow. Instead I started my walk to home, my hood up against the misting rain. I was letting the ribbons flash in front of my eyes, catching only glimpses.

_Bright yellow fear, panic, even horror. He was dead! 'Oh my god, Stiles just saw the cloudy thing!'_

_French blue jumpiness and impatience. I was going to miss Scott is Gerard kept talking._

_Cocoa brown resignation. Allison wasn't coming and Stiles kept calling._

_Mahogany brown worry. Stiles seemed afraid, like he was holding something back._

_Bright yellow annoyance and resignation. Seriously, my Jeep too?_

_French blue regret. I'd missed him._

The next morning, I got up early to walk to the depot, since Derek had my school bag. I got there to find Boyd sitting on the stairs as Derek threw Isaac to the floor. He nodded to me, allowing me to just sit beside him as Isaac went after the Alpha again and again. But I could see what was wrong. Isaac used the same approach every time. Then Erica leaped at Derek from the beams overhead, but Derek just threw her down beside Isaac. "Does anyone want to try not being completely predictable?" Derek asked only to have Erica jump on him as he turned. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped as the blonde kissed the Alpha. To my shock, Derek kissed her back and then threw her down onto the floor. Boyd got off the stairs, leaving me in plain sight of people, werewolves technically, who really didn't want me there.

"That's the last time you do that," Derek told her, walking away.

"Why, because I'm a Beta?" she asked.

"No, because I have someone else in mind for you," he told her, making both of us a little confused.

"Are we done?" Isaac asked, sitting up. "I've got about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal," he told the Alpha.

I winced, knowing he'd made a mistake as Derek approached him. "Here?" the Alpha asked, taking Isaac's arm. Then to my shock, he broke Isaac's wrist, twisting it painfully. Isaac cried out, making me wince, as Derek held him down. "Hundred and one. You think I'm teaching you how to fight? Huh? Look at me!" Derek snapped. Boyd looked down at them, concerned, and Erica jumped, a little afraid. "I'm teaching you how to survive," the Alpha snapped.

But Isaac stopped him, asking, "If they wanted us dead, why aren't they coming for us now? What are they waiting for?"

"I don't know," Derek told him. "But they're planning something. And you especially know that's not our only problem. Whatever that thing is that killed Isaac's father, I think it killed someone else last night. And until I find what it is, you all need to learn everything I can teach you, as fast as I can teach you," he told all of them.

"Well, there are better ways to do that than breaking them," I said, moving around the three Betas.

Erica and Isaac whipped around, their eyes yellow as they snarled at me. I let my eyes flash purple and they backed down instantly. "What are you doing here, Ami?" Derek asked.

"You took my bag yesterday. I'd like it back for school," I explained. "And apparently I need to teach you patience," I snapped, gesturing to Isaac.

"You don't get to teach me anything after you picked Scott over your own pack!" he snarled at me. His eyes flashed red, but I didn't care.

My own eyes flashed purple, burning just as angry as the red. "If you didn't want me to stop you from killing my younger brother, maybe you shouldn't have brought me to your little power display! And I'm sorry if you didn't like hearing the truth about you and Scott, but you can't hide these things from me! I can literally read you, or had you forgotten?" I yelled, hurt and angry and confused.

Derek growled and the Betas backed away. He stalked right up into my face, his fangs sliding out. But I held up what I'd found. The Alpha stopped short, his eyes locked on the silver pendant slowly spinning in my hand. "Where did you get that?" he demanded.

"I found it in the school parking lot last night when I was walking home from the animal clinic. I had to walk with Scott because you hurt him and then made me choose between my two brothers," I hissed, watching him take the triskele **(1) **locket from my hand. His fangs and eyes faded away, leaving my older brother staring sadly at the reminder of our lost family. "Look, Derek, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I interfered, but I couldn't let you kill him. You and Scott are all I have," I murmured. I reached up, pressing one hand to the side of his face.

"I'm sorry, too, Ami," he whispered, meeting my eyes sadly. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me to his chest as he buried his head in the crook of my neck. I hugged him back, the guilt and confusion, hurt and anger all fading away.

"Is that why I can't kiss you? Because you're sleeping with her?" Erica asked, making Derek tense up instantly.

"Derek and I were raised as brother and sister, Erica. His parents were my foster parents from the time I was born until I was eight," I replied, catching Derek's face in my hands as he went to turn around and Alpha out on her.

"I thought you were Scott's sister," Isaac said.

"Melissa McCall adopted me when I was eight," I told him. Then Erica's ribbon pulsed angrily and indignantly, and I snapped, "Mr. McCall moved out of town when I was nine, forcing Melissa to work twenty four/seven. I may have a woman to call mom, but she's never home, Erica, so don't try to tell me I have a family. My family burned to death in a fire when I was ten." Derek leaned his forehead against mine, calming me instantly.

"Get your stuff. We leave for school in five," Derek told them, excluding Isaac of course. Then he pulled me into the car he was using as his own now and at me down. "You need to tell me whatever you're holding back," he ordered.

I sighed and took the locket back from him. "Stiles was there last night when the creature killed the mechanic. He said he thought it knew him, like it's someone we know," I told him. He nodded and caught my hand when I went to put the necklace in my pocket. Holding my curious gaze, he took it from my hand and clasped it around my neck.

"If you're going to be the Alpha female, you might as well wear something to show the whole world," he told me. I smiled and got to my feet. He took my bag from the seat behind him and tossed me the keys. "Consider it an apology," he told me when I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Well, in that case, apology accepted," I laughed. He shook his head, smirking, and pulled a gray Henley over his tank top. As he shrugged on his leather jacket, I smiled, having had missed the familiar sight. Erica and Boyd were already in the backseat of the Camaro when we got up there and Erica glared enviously at me when I slid into the driver's seat.

At school, I brushed over peoples' ribbons, knocking away the pixies with shallow, typical teenage emotions. Lydia's was interesting; she was in the guidance office with Ms. Morrell. Except she clearly didn't want to be there, so I knew it wasn't her choice.

Stiles was delivering a message to Scott from Allison, and was seriously weirded out. And then he was running back and forth between the two, acting as their communication. It didn't surprise me when he used Scott's old inhaler that was still in his bag.

At lunch, I sat with Danny, watching him working on his tablet. Eventually, he called Matt over, asking a couple questions about the video and the camera. "What's up?" I asked.

"Just something for Jackson, but there's footage missing," he explained. I watched them work and wondered briefly if it was possible Jackson had footage of himself shifting. The rest of the day passed normally, and I secured permission from Derek for Erica and Boyd to come to the lacrosse game.

"Don't shift," the Alpha ordered. "Ami won't be able to help you," he explained. They promised they wouldn't and told me they'd see me there when they dropped me back off at the field. Being a manager for the team, I had to be there when the team got there, so I got to sit on the bench, getting the other team's roster from their manager. I was wearing my new team sweatshirt, loving the warmth of the red hoodie, even if it was a man's small instead of a woman's extra small.

Jackson's jump of betrayal made me look up as the other manager left. Danny, Matt, and Jackson were standing nearby, and I listened to the two tell Jackson there was footage missing. The blonde was shocked, and then realized it was possible he actually was a wolf. His joy didn't last very long, because then the other team came out to warm up. "Coach?" I called, spotting what had halted all the Beacon Hills boys. "Is he allowed to play?" I asked, gesturing to the giant, beefy kid on the other team. Coach shrugged, just as shocked as the boys.

When the first Beacon Hills player took a hit from the giant, I winced, feeling his shock and pain. The kid landed heavily on his back and had to be helped from the field. The next time it happened, Coach yelled, "Come on! Is that thing even a teenager? I want to see a birth certificate!" He sat down between Stiles and I muttering, "Who or what is that genetic experiment gone wrong?"

"Eddie Abomboids, Coach," I replied.

"They call him the Abomination," Stiles added.

"Oh, that's cute," Coach grumbled as the downed player was helped off the field. I saw Jackson grab Scott, demanding why my bother wasn't taking down the Abomination. Then Stiles got up, disappearing between the bleachers, taking Gerard's keys from Allison.

Then Danny went down, distracting me as I jumped up. He was one of two down, so I had to help get him off the field. I could hear my mom talking to Matt and caught a glimpse of Stiles finding Lydia crying. But I couldn't pay attention, because Coach was talking to Danny, who clearly had a concussion. Then to my shock he put the goalie back in. But we still didn't have enough players, and Stiles wasn't back, and no one else was on the bench…

"You!" Coach spotted Boyd and I sank onto the bench. Everything was literally just slipping out of my hands. "Can you play lacrosse?"

I heard Erica stop Boyd, telling him Derek wouldn't like this, and I grinned into my hand when Boyd replied, "Yeah, but I will." I watched him come down onto the field as Coach celebrated.

"Be careful," I ordered. "Give me some kind of sign if you're shifting," I whispered. He nodded, and then pulled on one of the injured kid's gear. And of course, the Abomination went right for him, and I felt Coach clutch my sleeve. I bit my pen, covering my eyes with one hand, but it wasn't Boyd who went flying back. Coach leaped up, celebrating, and I cheered for my Beta.

Scott and Jackson stared at Boyd, both realizing what had happened as he took off the helmet. Then I felt Erica leave and put the book down. Coach didn't need me anymore, and Scott could handle Boyd. So I ran towards the school, realizing Erica had found Stiles. I followed them in time to beat Erica to Derek. I found him in the pool with a basketball in his hand. "What are you doing?" I asked my brother.

"I just want to talk to Stiles about what happened," he assured me. I nodded, crossing my arms as I stood beside him.

Then Erica dragged Stiles in by the ear and came to stand on Derek' other side. "Ah," Stiles sighed, both in relief and realization.

"Stiles," Derek greeted him.

"Derek," Stiles returned.

"What did you see at the mechanic's garage?" my brother asked.

"Several alarming EPA violations that I'm seriously considering reporting," the boy told us. Erica and I exchanged grins as Derek sank his claws into the basketball in his hands. "Holy god," Stiles muttered.

"Let's try that again," Derek told him, throwing the deflated ball at his feet. Suddenly, Scott's ribbon flared with pain and I gasped, dropping to one knee as my brother's leg broke. Derek turned to me, his eyes wide, but I shook my head. The pain was already fading as Scott's leg healed. I got back to my feet, holding Derek's arm while my brother got up on the field.

"Alright the thing was pretty slick looking, um; skin was dark, kind of patterned. I think I actually saw scales," Stiles told him. "Is that enough, okay, because I have someone I really need to talk to." Derek just gave him a look, making him continue, "Alright, fine, eyes; eyes are uh yellowish, and slitted."

Then I felt a new presence, and looked up as a cloudy, mottled ribbon appeared. "Um, has a lot of teeth," Stiles went on as I tugged Derek's sleeve. The Alpha looked up as Stiles added, "Oh, and has a tail, too." Erica looked up, fear pulsing down her ribbon, and Stiles asked, "Are we good? What? Wait, have you seen it? You have this look on your faces like you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"We do," I told him, my heart pounding as I reached for the knives in my boots. Whatever it was hissed from the balcony railing, making Stiles turn around. Then it roared, and Stiles moved behind Derek. It leaped down to the floor, landing in front of Erica, and Derek roared, making my eyes flash purple.

It threw Erica into the wall, knocking her out, and Derek pushed me back, yelling, "Run!"

"Derek!" I cried as the thing slashed my brother's exposed neck.

"Derek, your neck!" Stiles realized, and then Derek fell. Stiles ran forward, catching the paralyzed Alpha and pulling his arm over his shoulder. I darted passed him, crouching over Erica's prone form on the floor.

"Get out of here!" I gasped, looking around for the lizard thing.

Stiles pulled Derek with him heading for the door at the back of the pool. "Where is it?" he called to me. "Do you see it?"

"No, I can't find it!" I gasped, clutching my knives.

"Call Scott," Derek ordered. Stiles dug his phone out of his pocket, but his fear made him fumble and drop it on the floor. He leaned down to get it and Derek fell over him, landing in the pool with a splash.

"Get him!" I cried, realizing he was going to drown. Stiles sighed and dove into the pool, leaving me crouched on the edge of the water with just a set of throwing knives. When they erupted to the surface, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where'd it go?" Stiles called. "Do you see it?"

"I don't know!" I called back, my voice echoing.

"Maybe it took off," the boy suggested.

I shivered as the creature shrieked, looking around wildly for it. But it's now mottled green ribbon was too murky to pinpoint, making it useless. "Maybe not," Derek replied.

As more time passed, I had to keep batting away Scott and Allison's ribbons I swallowed, keeping my back to the pool. I couldn't afford to be distracted right now. I went to reach for my phone, only to remember that it was sitting in my bag under the bench on the field. "Can you get me out of here before I drown?" Derek snapped.

"You're worried about drowning?" Stiles asked incredulously. "Did you notice the thing out there with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth?"

"Did you notice that I'm paralyzed from the neck down in eight feet of water?" Derek retorted.

"Okay, Ami, do you see it?" Stiles called.

"No," I squeaked, my fear making me tremble with tenseness.

Stiles started to pull Derek over to the side of the pool, but Derek cried, "Wait, wait, wait, stop!" I pressed my back against the wall as a shadow crawled towards me, and then the giant lizard walked by. It hissed, meeting my eyes, and dismissed me. Then it crawled around the pool and I realized my knives were going to be no use against that skin. Moving slowly, I tucked the blades away and shook Erica, hoping she'd respond. It kept me backed against the wall as it circled, which meant I couldn't get to Stiles' phone.

I heard Stiles ask, "What's it waiting for?" as it moved to the edge of the pool. Then it stuck one clawed hand in the water and jerked back with a shriek. I raised my hands to cover my mouth, hoping to muffle my breathing, since it was right in front of me.

"Wait, do you see that? I don't think it can swim," Stiles realized. I paled as I realized that meant if it wouldn't go in the water, the target on land had just gotten a lot easier. The lizard crawled away, and I saw an opportunity. It was circling, trying to get closer to Stiles and Derek, but moving away from me. "I don't think I can do this much longer," Stiles gasped, spitting out water.

"No, no, no, don't even think about it!" my brother cried. It was pretty easy to see that Stiles was looking at the phone lying on the side of the pool.

"Can't you just trust me this once?" the younger boy asked. I eased my boots off, my sweatshirt already lying on the tiles beside me, knowing they'd weigh me down.

"No!" Derek snapped.

"I'm the one keeping you alive, okay, have you noticed that?" my other brother's best friend asked.

"And when the paralysis wears off, who's going to be able to fight that thing, you or me?" the werewolf asked.

"So that's why I've been holding you up for the last two hours," Stiles sniped.

"You don't trust me," Derek pointed out, "I don't trust you. You need me to survive, which is why you're not letting me go." My eyes widened as I realized what Stiles was going to do and looked for the lizard thing. It saw me moving and started towards me, but all I heard was "Stiles!" as my brother went under. So I dove in, the angry shriek of the monster muffled by the water.

As I sliced through the water, Stiles swam over me, and I opened my eyes to see Derek lying on the bottom in front of me. I had to swim back to the top to get a breath and saw that Stiles was right next to me, holding his phone to his ear. Gasping in the biggest breath I could manage, I dove back down for Derek, and grabbed his hand. I pulled, desperate, kicking furiously, but he was too heavy for me. Then Stiles shoved me away, grabbing Derek by the front of his shirt and hauling him back to the surface. Kicking off the bottom, I shot back towards the surface, pushing Derek from underneath. The three of us burst into the air, gasping for breath.

I moved under Derek's arm, trying to take some of his weight off Stiles as he said, "Tell me you got him." Stiles scoffed and I knew Scott hadn't answered.

As I held Derek up, I could feel Stiles tiring, and we both knew this couldn't last. Stiles sagged, Derek's head going under, forcing me to push him back up as I went under too. We spit water and Stiles said, "Alright, I can't stay up here any longer. I need something to hold on to."

"Over there!" I jerked my head at the diving blocks, because there was no way I could hold Derek on my own, let alone both of them. Stiles nodded and we started swimming, dragging Derek between us. Then a familiar ribbon pulsed and I realized, "Scott's here!" The lizard shrieked and I got an idea. Derek had said wherever I was he'd hear me, right? So I screamed, "Scott! Help me! I'm in the pool! Scott!" Stiles reached out for the diving block, but his hand slipped, and he let go of Derek. My brother went under, his weight pulling me down as Stiles went under next to us. I fought furiously, my chest aching, and then Derek was yanked off me.

Instantly I shot to the surface, grabbing the diving block as I saw Stiles and Derek lying on the floor. A furious and protective roar made me look up, and I realized Scott was crouched over me. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then the lizard was there, tackling Scott from the side. I jerked back, the scaly tail slashing open the back of my hands, and I scrambled for a hold on the edge of the pool.

The lizard hissed and Scott roared above me and then Scott went flying into a mirror on the wall. I cried out, trying to climb out of the pool, but I was too tired. I didn't see what my brother did to drive away the lizard, but suddenly it went bounding up the wall, leaping out a skylight. Glass rained down into the pool and I looked up to see Derek leaning on the block I was holding. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"Get me out, please," I whispered, and he reached down to grab me. With his help, I was able to crawl from the pool, crying as I put pressure on my hands. He stood, pulling me with him as I cradled my bleeding hands to my chest. Sure, chlorine might kill all the bacteria in the wounds, but it hurt so bad.

Scott helped Stiles up and they vanished back into the school for whatever Scott had actually come here for. Erica was getting shakily to her feet as we reached her and helped me put back on my boots and sweatshirt. Derek put his arm around me as he walked out, but he redirected us towards Scott and Stiles upon my request. "How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" Scott exclaimed.

"It's called a Kanima," Derek told him, making the boys straighten.

"You knew the whole time," Stiles accused.

"No, only when it was confused by its own reflection," the Alpha told him, tightening his arm around me.

"It doesn't know what it is," Scott realized.

"Or who," Derek finished.

"What else do you know?" Stiles asked.

"Just stories, rumors," my brother assured him.

"But it's like us?" Scott asked.

"A shape shifter, yes, but it's not right. It's like a…" Derek trailed off as he searched for the right word.

"An abomination," Stiles realized, thinking of the kid at the game. Derek nodded, meeting his eyes. My brother let me go, since I wanted to go to the hospital with Scott and looked at Erica as he turned away.

"Derek," Scott stopped him. "We need to work together on this, maybe even tell the Argents."

"You trust them?" Derek asked angrily.

"Nobody trusts anyone, that's the problem! While we're here arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us and it's killing people!" Scott replied. "And we still don't know anything about it!"

"I know one thing," Derek told him, pressing a kiss to my dripping hair before he turned away. "When I find it, I'm gonna kill it." Erica followed, looking at me worriedly, but I motioned for her to go.

"Come on," Scott sighed, getting into the car. Stiles opened the door for me, allowing me to climb into the backseat before he grabbed the laptop and keys and got in the passenger seat. Scott had retrieved our bags from the lacrosse field while Stiles downloaded the bestiary, and they were sitting on the backseat. I wanted to get my phone, but there was still blood dripping into my lap, so I didn't touch my bag. We dropped Stiles off on the way to the hospital and Scott pulled up to the pick-up spot.

He went to open my door but was stopped when Gerard Argent grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn. To my horror, the old hunter stabbed my brother, making him gasp. I clapped bleeding hands over my mouth to muffle my cry of pain and watched, horrified. "Don't move," Gerard ordered. "Even though I can practically feel the tissue around the blade already trying to heal, you never know with a Beta." I whimpered as he pushed the blade deeper, Scott and I both convulsing in pain. "Besides, we'd this perfect picture of a kind old grandfather embracing his favorite grandson after hearing good news from the doctor," Gerard told him, pretending to hug him. As he straightened, he pushed the knife deeper and I gasped in pain. "That's right. I can play the nice dottering grandpa who likes to cook and tell stories and be sweet and charming," he continued, ruffling my brother's hair. "And trust me, I can do it far better than you playing average, broken hearted teenage boy." He pressed on the knife, asking, "Are you listening?"

"Yes," Scott and I hissed, glaring at him.

"Perfect. Now, you're gonna do me a favor one of these days, and you're gonna do it because if you don't, this knife goes in her," Gerard told him, looking at our mom through the door. "Or her," he added, turning Scott's attention to the fact that I was in the backseat. "Scott," he called, forcing my brother to break his hold on my terrified gaze. "I truly believe that it's so much easier when bad things don't have to happen to good people," he went on, digging the knife deeper. "Don't you agree?" he asked.

"Yes," my brother choked out, and Gerard yanked the knife free.

"Hey there," Mom said, having come out of the hospital. "You okay?" she asked, seeing Scott' face.

"Yeah, fine," Scott told her. She got in and I pulled my sleeves over my hands. My hair was tied up, nor could she see through the darkness to tell that I was soaking wet. But I watched the blood drip off my brother's shirt, realizing it was already healing. I met his eyes through the window and shook my head. We couldn't tell her, no matter what happened. Especially since she was at risk now.

**Author's Note: 1. Triscalade (Derek's tattoo)**


	21. Venomous

**Author's Note: Gamer and Marine-Thanks!**

Chapter 21-Venomous 

"How long is this going to take?" I asked from where I was sitting criss-cross on the train platform.

"You tell me, how far away are they?" Derek replied.

"She's on her way, that's why I'm asking." I sighed, "How do you intend to test him?"

"The venom," he said, holding up the shard of mirror from the pool.

"Be nice, please, he is still technically my friend," I whispered as Erica dragged Jackson down the stairs. Isaac grinned at me as he took Jackson's other arm, securing the blonde boy between them.

"What happened to you on the night of the full moon?" Derek asked Jackson, playing with the piece of glass.

"What? Nothing. Nothing happened," the teen told him, his ribbon pulsing with anger as he admitted his failure to become a wolf.

Derek looked up, leveling his specialty look at Jackson as he said, "You're lying." Setting the mirror on his thigh, he took the black latex glove I offered and pulled it on.

"Wait," entrapped boy snapped. "I can prove it," he told the Alpha. When Derek looked up, Jackson admitted, "I taped myself."

Isaac laughed at Erica and Derek smirked. I just rolled my eyes, realizing that tape was the one Danny had been enhancing for Jackson. "You taped yourself?" Isaac asked.

Jackson glared at him, replying, "Yes. It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled up in the corner having an exocentric crisis about turning into a monster, I was preparing for the so called gift your big, bad Alpha promised me. But what did I get; nothing."

"I didn't feel him become a wolf," I assured Derek when he glanced at me.

"You want proof, let me get the video," Jackson tried.

Derek pretended to consider it before he mused, "No." As he picked up the shard, he turned it to catch the light, making it bounce back into Jackson's eyes. "I have a better idea," he told the teen.

"What is that?" Jackson asked before Isaac and Erica forced him to his knees. Jackson fought, but he was no match for the two Betas. Erica held his head back as Isaac pried open the other boy's mouth.

Derek approached, holding the shard, and said, "You know, Jackson, you've always been kind of a snake. And everyone knows a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom." I watched, biting the nail of my thumb as my brother raised the shard to Jackson's mouth and titled it. Allowing a tiny drop of venom to fall between his lips.

"Let him go, now," I murmured as the boy convulsed, and Erica and Isaac moved away. I got to my feet, moving to Derek's side as Jackson became paralyzed.

_Blue-gray disappointment. It wasn't him._

_Baby blue satisfaction. It was nice seeing the bully helpless for once._

_Cerulean blue contempt. God he was pathetic. _

_Charcoal gray fear. What the hell?_

Derek sighed, but he allowed me to walk over to the boy and crouch before him. "You're still a snake Jackson, you're just not the one we're looking for," I sighed unhappily. When I stood, I motioned to Isaac, indicating that Jackson was all his. Derek dropped the shard on the ground as I joined him, and he pushed open the door to the train car over my head. Erica stayed outside, watching Jackson with jaunty contempt. "Now what?" I asked Derek.

"We keep looking," he assured me. I nodded, absently fiddling with my locket. "Are you staying tonight?" he asked, taking my bandaged hands in his with a gentleness that surprised me. I nodded again, already tired. It seemed like lately, all I wanted to do was sleep. At first I'd thought it was just my body trying to heal from Kate's torture. But now I wasn't sure. Mumbling something I hoped sounded like an excuse, I pulled away to change into my pajamas, opting to just pull a thin sweatshirt over my tank top.

I was almost asleep on Derek's mattress when he came into the car. I could feel Isaac, Erica and Boyd in the other car, the boys curled around their she-wolf as she slept. I could also feel Derek's fondness and affection as he saw me curled up in a tiny ball on his bed. As he pulled me against his chest, his warmth instantly lulling the pixies into silence, I hummed sleepily. In his chest, his wolf rumbled, his nose already pressed into my neck.

The next morning, Isaac was dressed and ready for school along with the rest of us. We had to stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way to school just like every morning to get breakfast. As soon as he saw Derek, the weasel-looking guy at the counter started running around, hastily gathering already prepared bags and two trays of drinks. As they were handed over, Derek delegated them to the four of us, but a single look ordered the three Betas to wait until they got in the car to eat. However, there was absolutely nothing stopping me from taking a huge sip of my coffee as the Alpha paid.

Erica and Boyd split off from Isaac and I when we got to school and I noticed instantly how people turned to look at the three Betas. Boys locked their eyes on Erica, shrinking away subconsciously from Boyd as they did. Girls turned to follow Isaac with their eyes, suddenly noticing the angular beauty about the boy beside me. I was too busy laughing at them to notice the way boys stared after me.

In first period, which I gladly shared with Isaac, I sat beside the Beta. Scott came in soon after, his ribbon pulsing with worry and dread and apprehension as he saw Isaac. Isaac just grinned at me before Stiles raced into the room. "I just talked to my dad, who just talked to Jackson, and I've got really terrible, horrible, very, very bad news," the pale kid told my brother.

"I think I already know," Scott told him, gesturing to Isaac. Stiles' ribbon gave off a burst of shock and apprehension as he realized the very, very bad news was sitting right in front of him.

At the end of class, Scott grabbed me by the arm, tearing me from Isaac's side. The Beta growled, but I waved him away, meeting his eyes calmly. He stalked away as Scott pulled me along to hear whatever Stiles had found. "Alright, I only found one thing online called a Kanima. It's a were-jaguar from South America that goes after murderers," Stiles told us.

"That thing was not a jaguar," Scott said. I shook my head, knowing it hadn't been even remotely cat-like. Then I spotted Danny and Jackson and perked up.

"Yeah, and I'm not exactly a murderer," Stiles pointed out.

"Yeah, but you did see it kill somebody, which is probably why it tried to kill you. And it's still trying to kill you and it probably won't stop until you're dead," my brother rambled. I sighed, slipping free, and moved to stand between the taller boys as my brother walked away.

"Hey Pixie," Danny nodded to me before turning to Jackson. "It took forever, but I found a program that can recover your video. I'll run it during my free period this afternoon," he told his captain.

"Kay, just let me know when it's done," Jackson requested. Danny nodded then walked away to get to his next class. I stood with Jackson, watching his concernedly as he flinched. I winced as the charms on Erica's bracelets licked and struck my hearing. Then I watched him carefully as he listened to my Betas and listened in on them myself.

"So Derek wants this done during Chemistry?" Erica asked Isaac.

"Yeah, and if it's Lydia, we kill the bitch, right," Isaac replied.

"We have to test her first," Erica reminded him.

"As the Kanima," Isaac scoffed, and then the bell rang, breaking my concentration rather painfully. Beside me, Jackson clapped his hands over his ears, having not been prepared for the sound.

"What are they talking about?" he demanded, grabbing me by the arm as he hauled me to our Economics class.

"We need to talk to Scott and Stiles," I told him. There was a knot forming in my stomach as I played with the locket around my neck. Derek was my brother, my Alpha, and he was hunting the Kanima to eliminate a dangerous enemy. But the one he thought was the dangerous enemy was my best girl friend. I was going to have to help Scott on this one. Even if it meant standing between two completely different packs and betraying Derek…again.

Jackson dumped me in the seat beside him as he sat behind my brother. I didn't even get the chance to warn the other two before Jackson said, "Hey, testicle left and right." I raised my eyebrows at him, a little grossed out as Stiles and Scott both looked up, set on ignoring Jackson. "What the hell is a Kanima?" he demanded.

_Cocoa brown shock. Who the hell had Jackson found out about this?_

_Bright yellow suspicion. How did Jackson know that?_

"Alright, quick warning before we begin our review," Coach said, catching everyone's attention. "Some of you, like McCall number one, might want to start their own study groups, because tomorrow's midterm is so profoundly difficult I'm not even too sure I could pass it," he told us. I curled my lip disdainfully. It couldn't be that hard. Then I turned away, not finding any need to pay attention right now. I'd been reviewing for nearly two weeks already.

"Paralyzed from the neck down; do you have any idea what that feels like?" Jackson sat forward to talk to my brother, and I leaned in towards Stiles. I needed to hear this if I was going to make any kind of argument to Derek.

"I'm familiar with the sensation," Stiles told him. Jackson just glared at him in annoyance, so I poked his arm with my eraser.

"Wait, why would Derek test you, why would he think that's it you?" Scott asked. I applauded my brother in my head for having picked up on that one.

"How should I know?" Jackson growled. I rolled my eyes when I saw why he was so insistent on not telling Scott he'd gotten the bite. He didn't want to look weak compared to my brother for having rejected something that had made Scott so much better.

"Wait, do they think it's Lydia?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know, all I heard was her name and something about Chemistry," the blonde replied.

"They're going to test her then," I whispered as Coach came over.

"Jackson, McCall!" Coach snapped. "Do you have something you want to share with the rest of the class?" he asked.

"Um…just an undying admiration for my coach," Jackson told him.

I nodded, plastering what apparently was a very convincing smile on my face as Coach said, "That's really kind of you." Jackson smirked, nodding, and Coach snapped, "Now shut up!" Jackson, Scott, and Stiles jumped, but obediently turned to their books. I watched as Scott and Stiles argued, but I was watching Lydia now. Her ribbon had suddenly twitched and gone cloudy. So I jerked around, seeing the redhead freaking out in her desk. I went to stand, but she ran to the board, grabbing a piece of chalk. She scrawled the same thing over and over as I watched in horrified fascination.

Then she turned to face the class, her eyes squeezed shut as she cried. Coach moved to stand in front of her, thoroughly confused and little weirded out, and called, "Lydia?" When she opened her eyes, he said, "Okay then, anybody else want to try answering, this time in English?" All around me, people laughed, instantly earning themselves glares that hinted on turning purple. Lydia whirled, turning to see what she'd written.

Once I realized what it said I got up, moving to stand in front of Lydia as I gently pried the chalk from her hand. "Everything's okay," I assured her softly, nudging her towards her seat. She nodded, quickly wiping her eyes before he strode back to her desk. Once I erased the board and sighed and got to work. Glancing at the book open on Coach's desk, I wrote out the hardest of the problems with ease then returned to my seat.

I did a double take when I saw my notebook. The same "SOMEONE HELP ME," as Lydia had written was drawn all over the page I'd opened to in the notebook. It was even written in the same pattern and placements that her's had been. But it was my handwriting. Instantly I flipped to a new page, a little shaken. I didn't bother to pay attention to class for the rest of the period, instead I started doodling triskeles and Celtic knots.

When the bell rang, I hurried with Jackson to Chemistry, Scott and Stiles right in front of us. "Derek's not gonna kill her, not without proof," Scott tried to assure Stiles.

"So he tests her like he did with Jackson, right? But when and where?" Stiles replied. The four of us were looking at Lydia, sitting alone at her lab table. Jackson moved around us, taking his seat next to Danny.

Isaac and Erica strode in, both of them reading devious, sneaky, and downright mean. "I think right here, right now," Scott told Stiles. Isaac met my eyes as Erica looked at Scott, and I shook my head, trying to warn him off. Then they saw Lydia, sitting alone. Scott and Stiles both looked at her, then back at the Betas. The two wolves instantly took on a challenging air, and I grimaced. Scott and Stiles beat the Betas to Lydia, sitting down on either side of her. Isaac and Erica sat down behind my brother as Allison came in. She gave Scott a look of confusion that he instantly placated by jerking his head at the Betas behind him. I moved into the seat beside the brunette flipping open my notebook to scribble her an explanation.

"Erica and Isaac here to test Lydia as that lizard thing. If they get to her, they'll poison her with its venom. If it doesn't affect her, they'll take it as proof that she'd the Kanima and they'll kill her," I wrote as Mr. Harris spoke. He seemed to love insulting Stiles.

"I'll help. Who's side are you on?" she wrote back.

"I'm not letting Derek kill Lydia if that's what you're asking," I wrote back, a little annoyed. She nodded, relieved, and wrote back an apology.

When most male hands in the room, and even a few girls, went up after Erica took the first table, smugness rolled down the she-wolf's ribbon. I also saw what she wasn't showing off. There was a hint of disbelief, even shock, because she just wasn't used to that kind of reaction.

The first partnering went alright. Scott was with Erica, who instantly had a plan come to mind. A worried and slightly jealous Allison went with Lydia. I was with Isaac. "Isaac, what are you going to do to her?" I hissed as I worked on the experiment.

"Just test her," he assured me.

"Test her like we tested Jackson?" I asked. Erica's pixie chattered, but I growled, driving it away so I could focus on Isaac. When the Beta met my eyes, I saw the briefest flash of guilt because Lydia was my friend and Isaac knew it. "And if she passes? How are you going to explain why she's lying on the floor, paralyzed?" I pressed.

"If she passes, we won't do anything. But if she fails…" he told me, trailing off as I forced him to meet my eyes.

"Let me talk to Derek if she fails," I pleaded.

"Talk to me," he replied, ducking his head. His eyes flashed amber and I hissed.

My own eyes flared purple, just very briefly, and he turned his head, exposing his neck to my fury. Submitting to my fury… "Don't ever do that. If I want to punish you, I'll stop bringing you books or buying you cinnamon rolls from the bakery," I told him as the bell rang.

Then I watched as Scott jumped to Lydia's side. Isaac moved away from me to take the seat next to Stiles, and I found myself beside Jackson. "Well?" he demanded.

"We're trying," I murmured as I continued with the experiment. "You need to help us after school of we manage to get out of here alive," I told him. Then something Isaac said caught my attention and I growled, "Knock it off, Isaac. You're not killing her." Jackson touched my shoulder with surprising gentleness as the bell rang.

I winced when I saw Allison end up with Erica. That wasn't going to go well. Stiles and Scott were together at a table, and I was with Danny, which meant… _'Oh shit.' _Isaac had claimed the seat next to Lydia and my stomach dropped into my shoes. Danny actually helped me with the experiment as I listened to Erica and Isaac and I knew we were screwed. When Erica said psychic, I flinched, clutching my locket. I wasn't psychic. I was just…something else inhuman mixed with a werewolf. I heard Erica's claws come out and turned to glare at the she-wolf. "Stop being such a bitch, Erica," I breathed, hoping there was power behind the words. And she didn't listen, opting to dig her claws into Allison's thigh.

"Time. If you've catalyzed the experiment properly, you should now be looking at a crystal," Harris announced. Danny triumphantly held up the crystal in our beaker and I managed to grin at him. "Now, for the part of the last experiment I'm sure you'll all enjoy; you can eat it," he added.

Danny broke our crystal with a flick of his wrist, and popped one half in his mouth. "Open up, Pixie, it's good," he told me. I shook my head at him, but opened my mouth anyway.

He placed the second half on my tongue and I leaned over to kiss his cheek quickly, chewing the rock candy. "You're right, Danny boy, it is good," I mused, grinning at him as I sat back.

"Lydia!" Scott cried. I jerked around, expecting to see her convulsing, and realized she hadn't even eaten the crystal. _'Eaten the crystal. Oh my god the venom is on the crystal,' _I realized. Erica and Isaac were tense with anticipation, Scott, Allison, and Stiles stiff with worry. A glance at Jackson told me he was watching the strawberry blonde as closely as Scott was and I gripped the edge of the table. Lydia bit into the crystal and I looked away, unable to watch. That's when I saw the Camaro parked outside, Derek leaning against the door.

Scott had seen him too, and we both knew the Alpha was waiting to make a move. When Lydia didn't react, Derek's ribbon pulsed with various thoughts. He'd found the Kanima; he could eliminate the threat. It was Lydia, his little sister's best friend. I was going to hate him if he did this, but he couldn't let it keep killing. I dropped my head onto the table as the bell rang to end class, and watched the two Betas hurry from the room. Scott took Allison and Stiles out of the room, so I inserted myself at Lydia's side.

"Lydia, do you have any painkillers?" I asked quietly, my headache coming back in full force. I was tuned into Scott, Lydia, Derek, Stiles, Allison, Isaac, Erica, Jackson, even Boyd, and they were all reading way too many emotions right now. Lydia patted my arm, pressing the pill bottle into my hand as I dropped her off at the guidance office. Stiles came to relieve me a few minutes later and I hurried up to the library. We needed Jackson with us for this one, and he was there with Danny and Matt.

I got there as Matt was leaving. I smirked at Danny's face when I saw Matt clap him on the shoulder and dropped into the photographer's vacated chair. Grinning at Jackson as Danny watched Matt leave, the blonde nodded. Danny glanced up at me, and then looked at Jackson. Jackson raised his eyebrows, but held his tongue. "What?" Danny asked.

"Got a little crush going on there?" Jackson replied.

"No," Danny instantly denied it, but he looked away from Jackson as he did, and his voice said it all.

"You're such a bad liar," I teased him, nudging him with my foot. Jackson just quirked an eyebrow, tilting his head in a disbelieving look.

"Shut up," the tall boy told us both. Jackson laughed as I giggled, but Danny continued, "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Why's that?" Jackson asked.

"Because if you haven't noticed, he's completely obsessed with Allison," Danny told him. I winced, knowing exactly how it felt to have your crush be in love with someone else. "So, whatever," he finished. Jackson met my eyes, a thoughtful look coming over his face. Thankfully Danny distracted him. "Anyway, this is gonna take a couple hours."

"So you can't tell me who did the editing?" Jackson crouched.

"Is there anyone else who can get into your house?" Danny asked.

"Well, I could. I know you're mom leaves the kitchen door unlocked, but we all know I wouldn't have a clue how to edit a video," I told them.

"Yes, Pixie, we know you're technically and vertically challenged," Jackson teased, and then the door to the library opened. Jackson turned to see Lydia and Stiles come in, and I knew as soon as he remembered that Lydia had a key to his house. "Yeah, actually I do," he told Danny, and I sighed. Well, if he needed to confront her, he could help us protect her at the same time.

Then Scott's ribbon pulsed, and I saw that he was talking to Boyd. "I'll see you guys later," I told them, hurrying from the library. Glad I'd worn boots today, I ran across the campus to the lacrosse field in time to see Scott tackle Boyd. There was a black blur when they stood, and Scott turned to see Derek beside him.

"She failed the test," Derek said.

"Yeah, which doesn't prove anything," Scott said as I reached him. I pulled the smallest wolf back, placing myself between my brothers. "Lydia's different," Scott pointed out.

"I know," Derek replied. "At night she turns into a homicidal walking snake."

"I'm not going to let you kill her," Scott told the Alpha.

My older brother looked at Boyd, who just grinned. My stomach twisted as Derek's ribbon pulsed with smugness. "Who said I was gonna do it?" he asked Scott.

"Isaac and Erica," I realized, watching as their ribbons read the pleasure of the hunt. Isaac was sharpening his claws on the lockers around him, and Erica was practically giddy. "Call them off," I ordered my brother, meeting his green eyes with my blue ones. Scott went to run back to the school, but Boyd leaped forward, throwing his arm out. Scott slammed into the branch like limb and I gasped, wincing, as the breath was driven from his lungs. He landed heavily on his back, coughing, and I glared at Derek. Boyd's satisfaction at getting equal and taking down the great Scott McCall hit me hard as I wrapped an arm around my own stomach, fighting to breathe through Scott's pain.

"I don't know why you think you have to protect everyone, now, Scott," Derek mused. "But even so, Lydia has killed people, and she's gonna do it again. And next time, it's gonna be one of us."

"But what if you're wrong?" Scott asked, still laying on the ground. His pain was fading, but I still couldn't breathe. A werewolf being hit by a werewolf usually doesn't take long to heal, as it was for Scott. But a human as tiny as me being hit by a werewolf as big as Boyd; yeah, that took a lot longer to fade.

"She was bitten by an Alpha, it's her," Derek insisted.

"You saw that thing up close; you know it's not like us," my younger brother protested.

"But it is," my older brother argued. "We're all shape-shifters, even Ami. You don't know what you're dealing with. It happens rarely and it happens for a reason."

"What reason?" the Omega asked.

"Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person you are," the Alpha explained. Scott looked away, realizing that Lydia could be classified as a snake. She certainly was sly and sneaky and conniving. To my relief, Derek offered Scott his hand, and to my greater relief, Scott took it, letting Derek help him to his feet. "Even Stiles calls her cold-blooded," the paler wolf pointed out.

"What if she's immune?" Scott asked. Derek hesitated, confused. "What if she's got something inside of her that makes her immune to the bite, which is why she didn't get paralyzed?" he pushed.

"No one's immune," Derek protested. "I've never seen it, or heard of it. It's never happened."

"What about Jackson?" Scott challenged, leaning into the Alpha's face. Derek instantly clenched his jaw and I understood. '_The black blood. But Scott hadn't known Jackson had gotten the bite.' _"That's why you tested him, isn't it? Because you gave him what he wanted didn't you?" Scott demanded.

"Scott," Derek snapped, trying to get him to stop.

But Scott was on a roll. "Peter said the bite either kills you or turns you. You were probably hoping that he would die," he accused the Alpha. I looked up at Derek just as Boyd did, confusion flitting across our faces. "But nothing happened, right?" Scott asked, searching Derek's face. "And you have no idea why, do you?"

Derek let an angry breath out through his nose, eyes locked on Scott's, his jaw clenched as he admitted, "No."

"Well I have a theory," Scott told him. "Lydia's immune, and somehow she passed it on to Jackson. You know I'm right."

"No!" Derek snapped.

"You cannot do this!" Scott told him.

"Look, I can't let her live!" Derek yelled. "You should have known that," the black haired wolf reminded the brunette.

"I was hoping I would convince you, but then, I wasn't counting on it," Scott told him, looking over at the school. Derek searched Scott's face, confused and actually a little hurt. I sighed, and then stepped between my brothers. Placing a hand on both of their chests, I pushed them apart, briefly surprised I actually could.

Then I felt Isaac catch Lydia's scent and he pulled Erica into the library. The two wolves looked around in confusion when all they saw were Matt and Danny. Isaac got angry, stalking over to yank Matt up out of his seat. But I didn't worry. Stiles and Allison had taken Lydia out of the library already, Jackson right behind them. "Go," I ordered Scott and he leaned over to kiss my cheek before taking off.

Boyd moved to stop him and I snarled, my eyes flashing purple. Instantly the Beta backed down, though he was literally three times my size. "What are you doing, Ami?" Derek asked.

"You can't kill her. She's my best friend. Look, today something happened. She had another hallucination and her ribbon became this cloudy color," I told him, stepping back.

"You said the Kanima was cloudy, like you couldn't read it," he pointed out.

"That was before the pool. Now the Kanima is mottled, the same color as its scales. Lydia turned gray, but I could still follow the ribbon," I explained. "Look, Derek, I'm telling you it's not her!" I cried.

But his eyes hardened, and he grabbed me by the arm. "You're not doing this to me again," he snapped, dragging me with him.

"If you do this, Scott will hate you. He'll never trust you again. And Allison will gladly accept her family's history to hunt you for killing her best friend," I told him. But my arguments fell on deaf ears as he tossed me to Boyd and stalked back to the Camaro. The big wolf shoved me into the backseat of the sleek car and a minute later, Isaac and Erica crawled in beside me. I was stuck in the middle, two angry Betas sitting on either side of me, their yellow eyes fixed on me.

Erica finally snarled at me and raised her hand, claws fully extended. She went to swipe at me and before I'd even registered that I'd moved, I had her wrist clasped in my hand. A furious snarl ripped its way out of my chest and the she-wolf shrank back. I wasn't even facing her. Isaac blinked, his eyes fading and I realized what I'd done. Instantly I let her go, and she pulled her arm to her chest, rubbing her wrist. "Was that you or me?" I asked Derek, meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror.

"That was all you," he told me, heading for my house. "Stop fighting, Ami. I have to do this," he sighed.

"No you don't. If the Kanima is like us, can't it be taught control? Couldn't it be taught not to kill? It's all alone, Derek, it's has no one to teach it. Why can't we teach it?" I argued.

"Did that thing look like it could be taught control, Ami?" he replied. I sighed, slumping in the seat as I realized he was right. "I know she's your friend, but she's dangerous. The only thing we can do for her is kill her before she realizes the power she has," he told me.

"I just can't believe it's her. The ribbons felt so different, Derek," I sighed.

"Don't we feel different when we shift?" he asked.

"No. Well, yeah, I mean, your pixie thing turns into a tiny, furry wolf. And your human emotions and natural reactions feel more like animalistic drives and primal instincts. But I know it's still you. Your colors don't change. Lydia changed. There's no way the Kanima doesn't change. The fog is something supernatural, but it's wrong, just like the Kanima we heard about in that story. Humans don't feel that way," I explained.

"What color am I?" Erica asked curiously.

"Cerulean blue," I told her then went rigid. That was Stiles' Jeep outside my house, and I could feel him, Allison, Jackson, and Lydia all inside. Derek parked, and the Betas leaped from the car. They gathered on the lawn as Derek let me out on his side, stopping me once my feet were on the ground. He held my arm in an iron grip, leaning down to pull the knives from my boots. He stuck them in the glove compartment and led me up to stand beside the Betas. Boyd took my other arm, instantly preventing me from going to the aid of my younger brother's pack. Then I blinked, a little surprised at myself. _'When did I start thinking they were a pack? When did Scott become an Alpha to me?'_

"Check the back of the house. The door's probably still unlocked. Don't go in," Derek ordered the other boy holding me. When he came back, he was grinning, and the other two Betas laughed.

_Bright yellow worry. Oh my god, what are we going to do?_

_French blue fear. They're here to kill Lydia. Conflicted. Should I call my dad? But then he'd know about Scott. Agitated. Where was Scott?_

_Magenta pink heartbreak. It wasn't supposed to be like this. _

_Charcoal gray anger. Why was she lying to me?_

I saw movement in the windows by the door and met Allison's eyes through the darkness. With the arm not clasped in Derek's iron hold, I made the shape of a gun with my fingers, holding her gaze and praying she understood. The curtain fell back into place and I watched her confliction and fear rise. She'd understood. Closing my eyes in relief, I left my head hang as Boyd moved back to my side to take hold of my arm again. Derek had switched me to his other side, and I was glad, because Boyd gripped my bicep with far less force than Derek.

_Charcoal gray fury. Why had she taken this from me?_

_Magenta pink confusion. What tape was he so angry about?_

_Baby blue anticipation. Finally, we could get on with this._

_Charcoal gray guilt. I didn't mean to hurt her. Pain. Why had I even tried to cut her out of my life?_

_Bright yellow realization. Allison had her little crossbow._

My head jerked up as Isaac left and I pulled against Derek and Boyd. "No," I gasped as Stiles and Allison realized Isaac was missing. Then I felt Isaac throw Allison and Stiles to the floor and Stiles' pain as Isaac threw him around. Even from out here I could hear things breaking as I desperately pulled, in vain, against Derek. Erica darted into the house now that Stiles and Allison were distracted.

_Magenta confusion. What the hell were they doing down there?_

_Charcoal pain. It was getting hard to breathe. Nothing._

_Mottled green, too cloudy to get a reading._

_Magenta fear. Why, why was someone trying to break in and where was Jackson?_

"Call them off!" I gasped, horrified.

_Magenta panic. Police, call the police._

_French blue anger. It was here, the Kanima was here._

_Cocoa brown fury. Animalistic fury. My territory! My pack!_

_Baby blue fear. McCall was here._

_French blue realization. If wolves could catch an arrow…_

_Cerulean blue scorn. She actually thought that little crossbow could take me down. _

_French blue triumph. Take that, bitch. _Then Erica went down, paralyzed because she had to be rash and catch the bolt Allison had rolled in the venom.

_Copper brown worry. It shouldn't take this long for Isaac to beat a human. _But only seconds after that, Isaac went down, knocked out cold by a few blows from Scott. I lifted my head as the door opened, but it didn't surprise me when Isaac and Erica were thrown through the air to land on the lawn at Derek's feet. The Alpha sighed angrily but admitted defeat. Scott had beaten those two.

Scott walked out onto the porch, Allison and Stiles following him out. "I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott," Derek told him, and Scott straightened. "You're not an Omega. You're already an Alpha, of your own pack." At that, Allison and Stiles exchanged glances, but I knew Derek wasn't done. Nor was he walking away. He grinned and pointed out what we all knew, "But you know you can't beat me."

"I can hold you off until the cops get here," Scott replied evenly. Boyd's hand dropped from my arm and I rolled my shoulder, shaking the numb limb.

Then Derek heard the sirens that I'd already picked up and turned to look. But I was distracted by a mottled ribbon reappearing and looked up. "Um," I tugged at my arm, trying to catch Derek's attention, and the Kanima hissed. Derek looked up instantly. The three on the porch heard it, and then moved out onto the lawn to look.

The Kanima crawled along the peak of the roof, making Scott, Allison, Stiles, and Boyd to read fear. Derek was furious, his claws curling around my arm protectively. The lizard looked down at us, met my eyes, and shrieked. Scott and Allison jumped, and then it was gone, crawling away to disappear into the darkness. "Get them out of here," Derek ordered Boyd, sparing a look at his two fallen Betas. He was intending on going after the Kanima.

But a noise in the house made everyone turn and I sighed in relief as Lydia stormed out of the house. I'd been right. "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" she demanded.

"No," I realized just as Scott figured it out. I reached up to grab the hand Derek still had wrapped around my arm, squeezing his fingers. Under my hand, he gently squeezed my arm, letting his hand slide down my arm to my hand.

I entwined my fingers through his, stopping him from going after the Kanima without any of his pack as Scott murmured, "It's Jackson."


	22. Frenemy

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry for not updating! My parents took me on a surprise vacation and I couldn't bring my laptop!**

**Teresa-I'm still not sure where that little scene came from, but I'm glad you liked it. **

**Sarah-yeah, I didn't think it was right for Ami to get stuck in the middle again, so that kinda happened.**

**Ash-Hope I helped! Don't worry though, we'll see it eventually. **

**Marine- you're welcome.**

Chapter 22-Frenemy

Derek started to pull away, but I refused to let go just yet. He turned back to me, eyebrows raised over red eyes, and I whispered, "Please be careful." His eyes softened, fading back to green and he kissed my forehead, lingering for just a second. I loosened my hold on him and he took off, my hand falling back to my side without his there to hold it up.

I turned to see everyone else standing on the lawn like they were in some kind of trance. I sighed and clapped my hands, jarring them all back to attention. "Boyd, take Isaac and Erica back to the hideout. You scratch the Camaro, I can't save you from Derek," I told the huge wolf. He nodded and I tossed him the keys that had appeared in my hand just before Derek vanished. "Stiles, take Allison, Lydia and Scott back to school so Allison can get her car. Allison, take Lydia home. Stiles, Scott, go after Derek," I finished.

Stiles and the girls moved back into the house to grab their bags as Scott took me by the shoulders, forcing me to face him. "What about you?" he asked.

"The cops are coming. Someone has to deal with them. Look, I'll just say I locked myself in the bathroom, called, and he took off when we heard the sirens. None of you were here," I shrugged and then pushed him towards the Jeep. "I'll be fine," I assured him when he looked back. Sitting down on the front steps was apparently a bad idea, because Stiles nearly fell over me in his rush to get to the Jeep.

Then they were all gone and the sirens rapidly grew closer. But my attention was focused on Derek, following him as he pursued the Kanima. I knew Allison was already back at school, so I called her, with only a single question in mind. "Ami? Did something happen?" she answered.

"Did you call your dad?" I asked.

"What, no, why?" she replied.

"I'll explain later, I promise. Just don't be surprised if he's not home when you get there," I assured her, hanging up. Then I dialed a number I still couldn't believe I had in my phone.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Argent? It's Ami McCall. We found the lizard. It's heading for the parkway," I said.

Chris Argent sighed and I heard the jingle of keys before he said, "On my way. Get out of there, Ami."

"I'm home, Mr. Argent," I assured him before he hung up. Then the police cars flew around the corner and pulled up to my house, lights flashing brightly enough to make me cover my eyes.

"Ami?" Sheriff Stilinski called, his gun drawn as he crossed the lawn.

"They're gone, Mr. Stilinski," I told him, turning my head up to face him. But I kept my hand over my eyes, so I'm sure I made quite the comical, pathetic image.

"We're gonna check the house anyway, okay, kiddo?" he replied.

"Fair warning, it's pretty bad," I gestured behind me at the open door in a universal go ahead signal.

"And yet you aren't hurt at all?" one of the Deputies asked, moving up to crouch beside me.

"I wouldn't say that. I'm sure I'll have some pretty spectacular bruises in the morning," I replied. Then we had to go through the typical statement process and all that fun stuff before I could go inside and start cleaning up. And then I was able to reach out and pull readings from the ribbons.

_Blue-gray anger. This thing wasn't getting away so easily again._

_Magenta pink sorrow. What the hell just happened and why were they hiding it from me?_

_Dark hunter green coldness. Four bullets to the abdomen should put this rabid lizard down. _

_Blue-gray pain. I couldn't take the Kanima on my own._

_Dark hunter green confusion. It had been Hale I was after, so where had he gone? Pain. This thing had more strength than a wolf. Horror. What was my father doing?_

_Olive green satisfaction. It was exactly what I'd expected._

_Cocoa brown confusion. Why wasn't Gerard doing anything? Resignation. There was no point in hiding from Gerard if he already knew. Determination. There was no way I was letting them kill Jackson._

I sighed and righted the overturned couch. All of these were old feelings. I needed right now. Especially because no one was calling me, not even Boyd to tell me there were all okay.

_Cocoa brown startle. How had he not heard Stiles approaching? The kid was never quiet._

_Bright yellow fear. That was a freaking tail in the window._

_Cocoa realization. Danny. Horror. Jackson was here to kill his best friend!_

With a cry I reached for Danny's ribbon, and sure enough, there were Scott, Stiles and the Kanima. Along with a number of the guys I'd met through Danny because of Jungle. "Oh my god, Jackson's going to kill him at the club. Oh my god, Danny, Danny, Danny, no!" So I threw as much of the house back into order then shoved my way out the door and took off. I knew the instant he'd seen Kyle and I growled. Danny hadn't told me they'd broken up. But that also meant he was inside and closer to the Kanima that wanted to kill him.

Thankfully Jungle really wasn't that far away, and the bouncer knew me pretty well so he barely glanced at the fake ID Danny had made me. I don't know how much it said about me that I was well known around a gay club, but the drag queens were quick to welcome me with open arms. "Hey, look, Pixie Dust is back!" Sapphire crowed, pulling me into the group. To my absolute shock, they had Stiles in their custody, and all I could do was laugh at him.

"Hi Stiles!" I called over the music as Sapphire whipped makeup out of her purse to doll me up a little. Thankfully, she knew better than to make me a drag, and I had a pretty good vantage point of the club from over here. So when Scott grabbed us away, Sapphire pressed a quick blue kiss to my cheek and I grinned over my shoulder. They were pretty awesome to party with and they always had open arms for someone like me. I laughed at Stiles' attempts to get him and Scott alcohol, then called to the blonde, shirtless bartender, "Tony, want some help?" He grinned and leaned over, hoisting me over the bar. I had a strange knack for fruity, tropical type drinks, and all the guys knew it.

Tony was kind of my personal bodyguard as I got to work until I heard Stiles say, "Hey, I found Danny." Scott was tensing up for a fight when I heard him reply that he'd found Jackson.

"Sorry, guys, I'm needed. I'll be right back," I called, vaulting over the bar with ease of practice. Tony waved me away and I tugged Stiles into the crowd. "Danny!" I called, weaving my way through the dancing boys around me. "Stiles?" I called when I felt him yanked out of my grasp. He was right behind me, but I couldn't see him. Danny was in front of me, so I called again, "Danny!" Then a weird scent made my head jerk up to see the fog machines turn on from the ceiling. "Shit. Danny!" I called, but the fog was making everything blurry around me. A pulse of frustration told me Scott had lost Jackson to the fog too.

Suddenly I was shoved down, and I looked up to see the Kanima standing over me. He hissed at me and turned around, slashing down the boy beside me. His drink splashed into my hair as he went down, convulsing. "Scott!" I cried, catching my brother's attention. I was lifted to my feet by some random guy as two more went down, then two more. "No! Danny!" I gasped as I felt him go down. I crouched beside my friend, feeling my eyes shift to flash purple in the gloom and fog and I snarled up at the Kanima.

"Jackson!" I heard Scott cry, and then Derek was there. "No, don't!" Scott yelled, and Derek slashed his claws across the Kanima's neck. I screamed as the Kanima wailed and fell on top of me, but Derek lifted me up and the Kanima was gone.

Panic ensued as people realized something was wrong and I fought Derek as I saw Danny lying frozen and helpless on the ground. "Danny!" I cried, but Derek clamped his hand over my mouth and dragged me out of the club. Furious, I bit Derek's palm and succeeded in making him pull back his hand. "Stiles! Back door!" I yelled as I was carried right by the other teen. He took off and I felt him find Scott crouched over a passed out, naked Jackson.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Derek demanded once we were away from the club.

"I got a reading on Scott and came to help Danny. I was just going to keep an eye on him and then I couldn't get to him when it mattered!" I snarled, furious with myself. Then I flinched away from Derek, a purple spark flying across my vision. "Sorry," I wheezed, my chest beginning to ache. "I'll let you handle the fighting I guess," I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself as I doubled over.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his hand coming down on my shoulder.

"Everybody's pain from tonight. I ignored the ribbons enough to push it off but I lost control. Now I'm getting it all at once. Just back away for a minute," I told him. "I'll be fine," I assured him, backing away. He had a worried look on his face, but he took a few steps back and I could breathe again. "Jackson broke your rib?" I accused, and he nodded. "God, Derek, don't ever take him on alone again," I ordered, wincing as Isaac is knocked out in my head. Then Erica is paralyzed and I convulse, shaking. I can't help the whimpers of pain as I convulse seven more times because of the club. Sobbing as my breath returns, Derek is there, holding me up. "That was horrible," I gasp, exhausted.

"Come on, I'll take you home. Let Scott worry about Jackson for a few minutes. Melissa is probably freaking out by now," he told me, allowing me to scramble up onto his back. Once I locked my legs around his waist, he's running, and my hair whips out behind me. I don't notice when he knocked on the front door and no one answered. I barely notice the fact that Derek sits on my bed and I fall backwards onto the mattress. I finally notice when he leaves and I grow cold again. Danny is at the hospital by now, and I'm relieved to see that it's Melissa tending him and the others.

Stiles is ridden with guilt that he's lying to his father yet again and Scott can't believe he's trying to help Jackson right now. I feel Isaac wake up, but Erica is still paralyzed, and now Jackson is unconscious. It really doesn't surprise me when Isaac leaps through my window a little while later and throws himself at me. "Hey, puppy, it's okay. What's wrong?" I asked, shoving the ribbons away as I lean my forehead against his.

"Derek's mad. Scott stopped him from killing Jackson. And he said you were there too and I was worried," he whispers, because by now we can hear my mom moving around the kitchen.

"I was trying to help Danny," I sighed, and he starts playing with my hair. There's something between the two of us that has made touch secure and calming, like I am with Derek. "I'm not hurt, pup, I'm just tired," I assured him, and he nodded against my forehead. I like calling him pup; he's my big, sweet, adorable, affectionate puppy with a little bit of a badass streak now. "You can stay. It beats the depot," I told him, and he huffed in my face.

I woke to a bolt of charcoal gray fury as Jackson roared at Scott and Stiles. But I don't care what they did to him right now, because Jackson's alive and everyone else is okay. Derek picks Isaac and me up from my house, Isaac having used the clothes I stashed for him in my dresser. During the day, Jackson's anger and annoyance gets to me. So does Allison's nervousness and wariness. Then it gets worse when Victoria is my substitute teacher in English. I'm waiting outside English for Allison when I spotted the security camera and hear Victoria using Scott against Allison. I snarl then plaster a smile on my face when Victoria walks Allison out to me and her daughter propels me away.

"Find Scott. Tell him my parents know about Jackson," she writes on a piece of paper as I steer her to her locker. I nod and take the paper, bolting down the hallway after my brother.

Instead I caught Isaac and Boyd and jumped in the Camaro with them. "Can you drop me at the hospital? I need to talk to Danny," I asked Derek. When he pulls to a stop outside, I kissed his cheek, ruffled Isaac's hair, and darted up the walkway.

"You're sure everything's okay between you and Jackson?" I hear Scott ask as I skid down the hallway. I slid right passed Danny's room and had to grab the doorframe to pull myself to a stop.

The boys barely glanced at me as I came in, and Danny replied, "Yeah, everything's fine." Scott hung his head as Danny checked his wallet. "The cops have to take my fake ID?" my friend sighed, dropping to sit on the bed.

"The keyword there is fake, Danny-boy," I teased, slipping under Scott's arm. I really liked the sweatshirt Scott has on and remembered that I should; I picked it out for him.

"You didn't do anything to make him angry?" Scott checked.

"How angry?" Danny scoffed.

"He has a point; Jackson's an angry person," I pointed out, by Scott shushed me.

"On a scale of one to ten, one being kind of irritated and ten wanting to kill you, violently," my brother told him, biting his lip.

"Jackson's kind of always at a four," Danny remarked, pulling his shirt on over his head and I laughed softly. "But we're good," he assured my brother. Scott sighed as Danny got up, adding, "I was actually doing him a favor."

"What favor?" the wolf asked.

"I was recovering a video for him," the human told him, and I clap a hand to my forehead. I'd completely forgotten about the video. "I put it on my tablet," Danny added. "Which is in the trunk of my car, and probably still at the club," he realized, annoyed.

"What was on the video?" Scott demanded. I nudged him gently having already realized his intentions here.

"I'm not really supposed to say," Danny protested, uncertainly meeting Scott's eyes. I get a sudden reading that makes me cock my head. He trusts Scott, wants to tell him the truth. Almost like his loyalties are shifting to the other captain.

"Danny, what if I told this could be a matter of life and death?" Scott pushed.

"I'm not supposed to say," Danny insisted, still holding Scott's eyes. For now, his loyalties lie with Jackson.

"Okay," Scott sighed, letting his head drop. Then Danny starts thumbing through his wallet again, and I nudged Scott. "What if I told you I could get your fake ID back?" he offered.

Danny looked up and quirked an eyebrow at me. "We'll get it," I told him, and then Scott is pulling me out of the room.

And we're stopped in the hallway by Mom. "While I think you being here to check on your friend is all sorts of commendable, I've got to play tough mom right now. Even though I'm not very good at it," she told us.

"Right now?" Scott and I chorused.

"Yes, right now! I got a call from your principle. You are failing two classes?" she replied to Scott.

"I know," Scott sighed. "And that's why I'm studying with Stiles right now," he added.

"Do you know that if you fail even one of your midterms they're gonna hold you back?" she cautioned.

"He said that?" we groaned.

"Yes. All your friends are gonna be juniors while you're still a sophomore. Do you understand? Scott, you cannot fail," she warned.

"I know," Scott told her.

"Okay. Thank you," she replied, looking down.

Scott walked away and I kissed her cheek. "I'll try to help," I assured her, hurrying after my brother. I run out the doors in time to jump on the back of Scott's bike, my feet on the weird silver spoke things. Scott passed me the helmet and I sighed. We really needed a car. The good thing was that since Scott had become a wolf, he'd put on a lot of muscle, and now I could actually hold his shoulders and not worry about falling off. The trip to the club took like half the amount of time it would if I were pedaling, and I hoped off the back as Scott glided to a stop.

As Scott opened the back, I realized, "Danny always locks the car." But the broken locking mechanism inside solved the mystery. And the tablet was gone. Scott sighed angrily and ran his hands through his hair. "Go to wherever it is you stashed Jackson. I have to find Derek now," I told him, handing off the helmet.

"Thank you for staying out of this one," he murmured, quickly kissing my forehead before he leaped back onto the bike.

A minute later, the Camaro pulled up and I slid into the passenger seat. "What's wrong? You're angry and frustrated," Derek observed.

"Can I use the punching bag? I really need some kind of outlet right now," I replied, earning myself a look. He just nodded, speeding his way back to the depot. He throws me over his shoulder when we reach the depot and I snarl a protest. He drops me in front of the punching bag and I lash out with a spinning kick Chris taught me. He's forced to leap out of range and my eyes flash purple. "Everyone leaves me alone for the next hour," I ordered, and the Betas nodded.

Derek threw me the tape, and I wrapped my hands. Then I shed my boots, socks, jacket, scarf, and two over shirts. I'm left in leggings and a tank top, and then I wrap my ankles. When I'm done, I lean against the bag and let the pixies free. Instantly a swarm of emotions nearly made my knees buckle and I snarled. "Fight back, Ami," Derek rumbled, and I heard Isaac murmur in confusion. I stepped back and sized up the bag. Before I realize what I'd done, I'd lashed out at the bag, pounding into it with my fists and feet and knees and elbows. Then I'd leaped forward and flipped off the bag the way Derek loved to literally flip off his opponents. The bag had crashed onto the floor and I landed in a neat crouch, one hand splayed on the floor. Flinging my hair back as I lifted my head, I looked up to meet Derek's eyes. He nodded, and I know it's enough for today.

"You all saw how she didn't stay still, right? How she didn't plant her feet and make herself a solid target? You have to learn to do that. You can start right now with everyone for themselves. You have five minutes to take down both opponents," he told the Betas, turning around to face them. I rose, lifting the bag back to its standing position and started undoing the tape around my hands and feet. Once I finished dressing, I shake my hair out of my face and examined my knuckles. They're red and will bruise tomorrow even through the padding I'd worn. My elbows and knees are red, but they don't hurt so much.

Scott, Stiles and Allison are all with Jackson, and Scott's train of thought is steamrolling. And then Stiles has to suggest killing Jackson to solve the problem. Scott instantly shoots it down; reaching for whatever help Jackson has given us since this mess started. I know Jackson is listening as I sit on the stairs to wait for Derek because I can feel Jackson's surprise at Scott defending him. Then it hits home when Scott pointed out that Jackson had no one to help him. To my shock, I read it clearly when a tear rolled down Jackson's face. He was overwhelmed by sorrow and guilt and shame, and he's realized he didn't deserve Scott's help.

Then pain laced through my hands and I closed my eyes to grab Jackson's ribbon again. When the screen lights up, I'm staring down at handcuffed hands that had covered in scales. I fumble for my phone and dial Scott, but his phone is off, and I realize he's with Allison. I growl in frustration but it feels like ants are racing up and down my spine and I can't scratch them off. Stiles isn't even there anymore and I'm curling in on myself in Jackson's pain. "Damn it, Scott!" I gasped and then Derek's at my side.

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning over me.

"Jackson' shifting and I can't get a hold of Scott and Stiles left and it really hurts!" I told him. My chest is collapsing, and my jaw aches and I'm itchy everywhere, and I'm whining.

"Isaac!" Derek barked, and my pup was there instantly. He wrapped himself around me, using his own body to straighten my spine out. His head is pressed into my shoulder and he's nudging my neck, running one hand through my hair. "Ami, listen to me. Breathe. This isn't your pain," Derek said, taking my hands.

Using Isaac as a stabilizer, I take a deep breath, trying to slow my heart rate down to his. I meet Derek's eyes, and watch as his shift to red. "Call Stiles," he ordered, handing me my fallen phone. I don't remember setting Stiles' speed dial, but I have it, and I'm glad. "Stiles, Jackson's shifting. Scott and Allison aren't paying attention at all. Get over there right now," Derek snapped before Stiles even said hello.

"How the holy hell do you know that?" the smaller teen cried, but we all heard the Jeep start in the background.

"Ami felt it. Just go!" the Alpha snarled and hung up. I followed Stiles as he drove to the preserve, checked the van, and woke up Allison and Scott. Annoyance built up inside me with Scott and Allison; yeah, I got it, they couldn't see each other, but they had a freaking job to do! Instead they'd pretty much had sex and fallen asleep while Jackson escaped!

"What is it?" Erica asked from behind Derek.

"Jackson escaped," I sighed. "Allison's going to tell her father he's the Kanima. Scott and Stiles are going to tell the Sheriff everything," I told them, holding Derek's gaze. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and let me go. I watched him pace and sighed. Allison's impatience and Lydia's sudden appearance made me even more annoyed. Allison was being a complete bitch to Lydia, brushing her off like yesterday's newspaper.

Meanwhile, Scott and Stiles were at the station and I suddenly realized Jackson and his father were there. "Jackson's okay, he's at the Sheriff's office. He's pretty smug, and his father is very annoyed. The Sheriff is royally pissed. But you don't have to go after him, so stop pacing," I told Derek.

He sighed, his eyes fading back to green, and knelt before me. "What else can you feel?" he asked, taking my hands again.

"Lydia's translating the Bestiary. Someone…shit. The Kanima isn't seeking a friend, he's seeking a master," I replied, holding onto Allison's ribbon.

"What does that mean?" Erica asked.

Derek sighed and raised my hands to his forehead as he bowed his head. Then he said, "It means he's not doing this alone. Someone's controlling him."


	23. Restraint

**Author's Note: thanks to Marine and Silver Avenger for reviewing! Just to let everyone know, publishing will slow down a tiny bit. My muse has decided Blue Moon can wait in order for me to write some pre-series scenes about the Hale family and Ami. My muse is literally screaming at me to write them down, so I hope you enjoy them! You can find them under Forgotten Star on my profile! Also, I'm changing a few details of earlier chapters. Ami was ten, not eight when she was adopted. I'm making her adopted because of the fire. Derek is now 24 instead of 22; the eight year age difference works better for the timeline of the fire.**

Chapter 23-Restraint

As Isaac curled around me, I gently pulled one of my hands free from Derek. I ran my fingers through my brother's hair, remembering how my touch had always been calming to him. Derek had told Scott his anchor was anger, but he hadn't told Scott the entire truth. Anger was his trigger, his way of unlocking the wolf inside him. It was my touch, or the thought of my touch that returned my older brother to human. Right now, it was holding him still, keeping the wolf at bay.

"What are they doing now?" he finally asked.

Closing my eyes, I reached for the ribbons of Stiles and Scott. Letting Stiles' go, I played with Scott's until I could see what was happening. _"You will not go within fifty feet of Jackson Whittemore. You will not speak to him, you will not approach him, you will not assault or harass him physically or psychologically," Sheriff Stilinski told them, tossing the clipboard onto the table._ Dave Whittemore and Melissa were present and I understood.

"Jackson just filed a restraining order on Scott and Stiles," I sighed. "I need to go home. Melissa needs me right now," I added, feeling her disappointment. Then she asked why this was happening. "Isaac, Erica, can you go outside for a minute?" I requested. Isaac pressed a kiss to the top of my head as he untangled himself and I waited until I heard the door close before I spoke, "When do I tell Melissa? How do I tell her about all of this? She thinks Scott's misbehaving because his dad left."

"You need to talk to Scott, but I'll help you if you decide to tell her," Derek told me. I nodded and swallowed Scott's guilt. "Is Jackson still there too?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, he's there. Next time you confront him, hit him for me," I requested, and he smirked. He'd hit gladly hit Jackson. "Isaac, Erica! Derek wants to talk to you!" I called, standing. He shook his head at me, but stood as the two Betas returned.

"I want you two to start being nice to Scott and Stiles. Get close to them. Work with them," Derek instructed, lifting me to my feet.

I follow him down the subway as Isaac asked, "So why do we need their help?"

"Because it's hard to kill than I thought and I still don't know who it is," Derek told him. I raised an eyebrow; he knew it was Jackson.

"And they do?" Isaac checked as Derek stepped down from the train.

"They might," I replied, jumping down.

"Which is why I need one of you to get on their good side," the Alpha explained.

"Hmm, Scott or Stiles?" Erica asked.

The tone of her voice made Derek roll his eyes. He'd forgotten how lustful teenage she-wolves were. "Either," he told her, reigning in his temper as my hand brushed his arm. I moved around to the trunk on the ground and flinched away from it. Even though I'd seen it rarely all those years ago, I recognized it, and I didn't like that Derek was showing his Betas the contents.

"You know the full moon's coming, Derek?" Isaac asked. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Of course he knew. He always knew.

This time my fingers brushed over Derek's hip to pull in his temper. "I'm aware of that," he told Isaac. There was no anger, no sarcasm, and I nodded. He flipped the trunk open and I shied back. When he lifted the first belt set and its chains out, I couldn't help but move around to the other side of the trunk.

"My, these look comfortable," Erica remarked sarcastically as she lifted a second set. I noticed the headband piece and noted that it was a she-wolf set. Derek gave her a flat look, and Erica's ribbon pulsed with the realization that this was not a joke.

"You said you were going to teach us to change whenever we wanted," Isaac pointed out. A quick touch to his ribbon told me he was actually afraid of being tied up again. And his fear was because of his father. My fists clenched in anger; my Isaac was so innocent, so scared because of that vile man.

"There hasn't been time," Derek told him, taking a third set from the trunk. I knew from experience that there were at least half a dozen of the sets inside that box.

"But if you have to lock us up during the full moon that means you're alone against the Argents," Isaac realized.

"They haven't found us," the older wolf replied, closing the trunk.

"Yet!" Isaac reminded him as the Alpha walked away.

I sighed and called, "Derek, you're a horrible communicator!" Then I turned to the Betas and explained, "Derek has to lock you up so you can't get in trouble with the Argents. When the full moon takes over, you'll be unable to control yourself, and the Argents know it. And if he's smart, Derek will stay here with you and try to help you through the full moon. Going out there will be dangerous even for me."

"So how about we forget the Kanima?" Isaac called to Derek.

"We can't!" Derek yelled, turning around as he approached the stairs. "There was something about the way Gerard looked at it. He wasn't afraid, at all. And I don't know what he knows or what he's planning, but I'm sure about one thing. We have to find it first." The Betas sighed and I hurried after Derek, since I needed a ride home.

When I got home, Scott had locked himself in his room and Mom sat on the couch crying. "What happened?" I asked her, though I already knew.

"Jackson filed a restraining order against your brother because Scott and Stiles kidnapped him. Now Scott won't even tell me what's going on," she replied, wiping her face. I sighed and got up, quickly making her a cup of tea before I returned to the living room. "Do you know what's going on with him, Ami?" she finally asked.

I sighed and tried to be honest. "I know that right now Scott's going through a lot of changes and as a girl, I can't understand some of them. But I also know that Scott's not trying to get into trouble for rebellious teenage reasons. He's really not trying to get into trouble at all. Neither of us is trying. Scott has a hero complex, and gets involved with everything, and ends up getting into all the trouble. I just seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot lately. Just give us some time, okay? We'll figure out we need your help eventually," I told her. She smiles ruefully at me, but didn't reply. Instead she pulled me into a hug, running her hand gently through my hair.

When she let me go, I hurried up the stairs to Scott's room. "We need to tell her. We can't keep doing this to her," I told him, sitting beside him on the bed.

"We can't tell her until we've got Jackson figured out," he protested. I nodded, knowing he's right and hugged him quickly. Then I jumped in the shower and crawled into my strangely empty bed.

I slept alone for the first time in while, and so I slept horribly. I fell into a nightmare every time I closed my eyes and woke up seven different times. Every memory was distorted, never ending the way it really had, and I watched the people around me die in my sleep. I finally woke up to my scream after dreaming of the night Peter and Kate had died. Except in my dream, Kate had killed Scott and the Alpha had killed all three Argents, Stiles, and Jackson. Derek had died in my arms, and I woke when the Alpha's jaw closed around my shoulder. I was screaming, shrieking as I fought my way free of my sheets. But no one came to comfort me; Mom was in the shower and Scott was probably off in his own little Allison-central world.

Sobbing, I curled up in a ball, holding my hands up in front of my face. A long red scar ran along the back of each hand and I shoved my hands under my pillow. When I finally got to my feet to dress, I stared at my reflection in the mirror in pure anger. I was supposed to be strong. My brothers were werewolves; I'd been raised in a pack. I should be able to handle this. Instead I was breaking down like a baby.

So I went all out in a dress and leggings and heels with my leather jacket. When I was done my tiara braid and my makeup, no one could tell I'd been crying. To my surprise, when I walked out to the Camaro, Derek was alone in the car. "They're all already at school. Don't worry, I fed them," he told me.

"Did the cashier run around like a terrified mouse again?" I asked. When he nodded, I laughed, unsurprised. The morning counter worker was terrified of Derek.

At school, Derek parked instead of just dropping me off. He got out, coming around to my side as I opened the door, and wrapped me a tight hug. There were times when I loved the fact that Derek was fine without talking, and today was one of them. He didn't ask me what was wrong; he didn't try to get me to talk. He just held me. When the opening bell rang, he stepped back, and I kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Der," I murmured. He smiled down at me, leaned over to kiss my forehead, and climbed back in the Camaro. As he drove out, I sized up the school and took a deep breath. Then I raised my chin and strode up the walkway, drawing stares as I walked.

Unfortunately, I had free period first thing in the morning, and ended up in the library as Scott was leaving. "Where are you going?" I asked, stepping out of the doorway.

"I have to make up a chemistry test," he called over his shoulder.

"Oh. That's…strangely normal," I realized, reaching for the cocoa brown ribbon that was his. _Worry. I couldn't fail this test. Apprehension. If Allison got hurt while I was in a test I was going to kill someone. Fear. Ami had woken up screaming so many times last night I'd been forced to stop responding to her. Confusion. What did Ami know about Derek that made her trust him so much that he was able to keep her nightmares away? _

I released Scott's ribbon to finish the last of my Pre Calculus review. But I abandoned everything at my table when Allison's ribbon threw fear and panic in my face, and Scott pulsed with absolute fury and protectiveness. Jackson leaped with fury and I felt the two of them go at it. "Come on, just one day, is that too much to ask for?" I groaned, running down to the locker room. When I reached them, I saw Erica trying to hold back Jackson and failing. So I stalked up to him as Harris ran down the hallway, yelling at the group.

"What do you idiots think you're doing? Jackson calm down!" Harris snapped. I whacked the blonde in the forehead with the palm of my hand and he went still. He glared at me and I curled my lip at him in a snarl. "Mr. McCall? Care to explain yourself?" I glared across the hallway at Scott, ordering him to keep his mouth shut. "Stilinski?"

"You dropped this," Matt told Scott, but Harris took it instead.

"You and you," the teacher snapped, pointing at Scott and Jackson. "Actually, all of you," he told us, including Matt and I. "Detention, three o'clock," he ordered.

The rest of the day passed without incident, but I was so angry with Scott and Jackson that I didn't even notice the pixies that jumped around inside my head all day. I had to text Derek and tell him Erica and I had gotten detention because of Scott and Jackson and all he said was keep an eye on the sometimes Kanima. At three, I stalked into the library beside Erica, sitting next to her when she sat across from Scott.

"We can't be in detention together. I have a restraining order against these tools," Jackson told Mr. Harris as he sat down.

"All these tools?" Harris replied. He very clearly didn't care.

"No, just us tools," Stiles spoke up, gesturing at himself and Scott.

"Fine. You two, over there," the teacher ordered, pointing to another table. If I hadn't been so mad at him, I probably would have laughed at the affronted look on Jackson's face. Erica patted my hand as I glared at the back of Jackson's head.

As I realized I had absolutely nothing to do for the next hour, I pulled out a notebook and started doodling. I didn't look up until Jackson walked out holding his head. Harris went after him, and I rolled my eyes as Scott and Stiles sat down in the two other chairs. "Stiles says you know how Jackson's parents died," Scott told Erica.

"Maybe," the she-wolf replied, not looking up from her notebook.

"You could have asked me," I snapped at Scott.

He ignored me to order Erica, "Talk."

She put her notebook on top of her laptop and said, "It was a car accident. My dad was the insurance investigator and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche he makes some comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he turns eighteen."

"So not only is Jackson rich now, he'll be getting even richer at eighteen?" Stiles complained.

"Yep," Erica smirked. She didn't like Jackson at all. She knew how unfair it was for him compared to all of us.

"There's something deeply wrong with that," the Sheriff's son sighed, and I nodded.

"You know what: I could try to find the insurance report in my dad's inbox. He keeps everything," Erica realized, opening her pink laptop. And then Scott was called to the Principles' Office. Allison, Scott, and Stiles all pulsed with dread and confusion, but Scott got up anyway.

"Ami, switch seats with me," Stiles ordered.

I rolled my eyes and got up, moving to the table Scott and Stiles had abandoned. As I sat down I saw the doodles I'd been drawing. But they weren't doodles. "Oh my god," I murmured, horrified. The first was a snake disappearing down a sink drain. The second was a small flower I recognized as Wolfsbane. The third was a pencil sharpener with a tiny stub of a pencil held in a feminine hand. Jackson's name was written in dripping, wild letters on the snake. On the petals of the flower, I'd written Lydia in flowing script I didn't know I was capable of creating. The flower sprouted from the top of Peter, and the name looked like it had been scratched out with claws. The pencil sharpener had Victoria on them in an elegant writing. Scott was written, in my brother's handwriting, on the pencil. The fingers of the hand were labeled with Allison.

Hastily I shut the notebook and put my head down. As hard as I tried not to zone out, I couldn't stop myself, and when Jackson returned, my notebook was open again. This time I'd just drawn a Wolfsbane plant growing out of what looked like floorboards. Mr. Harris packed up, and I slid my notebook into my bag. I was rattled and starting to get worried, and was about to call Derek, except Mr. Harris laughed humorlessly. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm leaving, but none of you are. You may go when you're done with the reshelving," he told us, patting the carts full of books. "Enjoy the rest of your evening," he said, walking out.

Everyone pulsed with annoyance and I sighed. So I put my earphones in and followed Erica to one of the three carts. Matt wheeled a second over to Jackson, who stood with his chin tucked in out of anger. Stiles grabbed the other cart and I spared him a glance. "You okay?" he mouthed. Shrugging, I joined Erica as she thumbed through the books on the cart.

I managed to drown out the talking around me, but I couldn't ignore the ribbons. Lydia's was pulsing with confusion, but she wasn't in any danger. Scott was absolutely terrified of Victoria and my brow furrowed as I saw the stub of a pencil in her hand. When he came back to the library, he joined Stiles and Allison, completely ignoring me as I tried to meet his eyes. I had to be honest; I was starting to get really tired of being ignored and then run to the second my help was needed. So I turned my music up and shoved a few books back into their places.

When Jackson's name flashed behind my eyes, I turned off my music and pulled out my earphones. It was followed by close your eyes, then close them now, and I whirled. There was an open book lying on the ground where I knew Jackson had been standing and suddenly, Scott was standing beside me. We turned around the shelf corner to find Matt lying face down on the ground, a bleeding gash visible on the back of his neck. I darted to him, Scott's horror and dread washing over me. Scott dropped to his knees beside me and Jackson leaped over our heads, hitting the ceiling hard enough to make debris and books fall on us. Instantly Scott threw himself over me, shielding his head with one arm.

He let me up as debris stopped falling and I realized Erica was alone. So did Scott. "Erica!" we shouted. The blonde had already shifted, roaring in fear as Jackson leaped over her head. "Behind you!" I screamed, but I was too late. The she-wolf screamed in human pain and I felt her convulse. Scott yanked me up, holding my arm protectively as he backed around the corner. "No!" I gasped but Jackson was already standing there.

I gasped at the horrible, disfiguring half transformation Jackson was stuck in and took a step back. The Kanima roared and lunged at Scott, who shoved me down beside Erica just before Jackson hit him. My brother hit a book cart, landing on it as it fell over, the wind knocked out of him. I felt a hand close around the back of my neck and I was lifted away from Erica as Scott crouched in front of Allison and Stiles. Jackson held me beside him, his claws brushing the side of my neck as his other hand wrote on the blackboard. When he finished writing, his head lolled down and I found myself staring up at reptilian eyes.

"Jackson," I wheezed, trying desperately to pull the claws away from my neck. But I only earned myself a slash to the back of the neck and cried out as I was paralyzed. As I fell, I saw him leap out one of the windows and Scott ran to me. But now my eyes were locked on my Beta and I gasped, "Erica."

Stiles ran to the she-wolf, yelling to get Scott's attention. "I think she's having a seizure!" Scott held me up so I could see as Allison rolled Matt over.

"He's alive," Allison told Scott and Stiles, and I glowered up at him.

"We need to get her to a hospital," Stiles told Scott, holding Erica up.

"Derek," Erica gasped. "Only to Derek."

"Okay, when we get her to the hospital," Scott started to say.

"Derek," I cut him off. "Take us to Derek."

"To Derek," Erica agreed.

"Go," Allison ordered.

"Scott!" I yelled as he put me down to run to Allison's side.

"I'm staying here with you," he told Allison.

"He can't take both of them to Derek, not like this. And Matt, I've gotta call an ambulance for him. Just go," Allison replied.

"This doesn't feel right," he argued.

"It's okay," Allison assured him, clearly trying to stay calm.

"No it's not, it's not right," my brother replied.

"It doesn't mean anything," the huntress tried to tell him.

"It feels like it does," Scott protested.

"Scott, go," Allison sighed, "Go."

Scott sighed, realized she was right and kissed her forehead. Stiles passed Erica off to him and then hurried over to pick me up. I couldn't even wrap my arms around his neck, but it didn't really matter. I was so light, so small, that even Stiles could carry me with ease. Scott managed to get Erica into the back seat of the Jeep and Stiles passed me over. Stiles peeled out before his door was even shut and I called directions to the depot. When Stiles slammed to a stop, the boys leaped out, carrying us with them as they managed to open the door, and Scott yelled, "Derek!" There was a note of approaching panic that I knew Derek would respond to and then the Alpha was there, taking Erica from Scott.

"Hold her up!" Derek ordered. Stiles propped me up in one of the seats before he ran to Erica, something she'd said making him eager to help her.

"Is she dying?" the human boy asked.

"She might," Derek told him, and I heard the confusion and fear in his voice. "That's why this is gonna hurt," he added. I watched from my seat as he grasped the she-wolf's arm and broke it.

Erica's pain made me cry out as she screamed. "You broke her arm?" Stiles demanded.

"It'll trigger the healing process," the Alpha told him. "I still gotta get the venom out," he added. "This is where it's really gonna hurt." I felt him shove him claws into Erica's arm and cried out as she screamed again. Stiles and Scott were horrified, a little grossed out, but it was working. I could already feel Erica healing.

Watching as she fell back into Stiles' arms, I smiled at the sight. The boy brushed the hair away from the blonde's face as she said, "Stiles, you make a good Batman."

The boys relaxed as Erica passed out in Stiles' arms, and Derek let her go to come over to me. "I can't do that to you so it's gonna take a while for the venom to wear off," he told me.

"Okay. Can you put me on one of the mattresses with Erica? This is really uncomfortable and I want to be near her," I replied. He nodded and wiped his bloody hands on his jeans before he lifted me. Scott carried Erica in after me, laying the she-wolf against my side. I closed my eyes as Lydia's ribbon pulsed with fear and horror, but when I tried to reach for her ribbon, it became cloudy. It slipped from my fingers and I frowned.

A gentle human thumb slid over my forehead, smoothing out the frown lines as Stiles said, "No frowning. Just relax, Ami."

"Erica's right. You do make a good Batman," I told him, giving him a small smile. He looked away, blushing faintly, and I heard Derek and Scott leave the train.

"You know who it is," Scott accused Derek as Stiles gently swept my hair out of my face.

"Jackson," Derek replied.

"You just wanted Erica to confirm it, didn't you?" the Beta asked. Then Scott came to a decision that I knew had been eating at him for a while. "I'm gonna help you stop him, as part of your pack," he told Derek. This made the Alpha look at him, surprised. "If you want me in, fine, but we do it on one condition. We're gonna catch him, not kill him."

"And?" Derek prompted, knowing that look on Scott's face. He was hiding his triumph from the younger wolf; he was perfectly aware of the fact that not only would Scott be stronger for having a pack, but Derek himself would be more powerful because Scott would be a powerful Beta. I sighed in relief; I wouldn't have to stand between the two packs anymore.

"And we do it my way," Scott declared. Then Scott called to Stiles, not even bothering to check on me before he left. But I wasn't expecting him to care anymore. I got it; he wanted to be a good non-boyfriend, a good son, a good student, a good captain, a good player, and a good friend. Being a good brother wasn't high up on his list anymore. Unfortunately though, he wasn't completely to blame. Ever since Derek had come home, I'd defended him and sided with him and helped him. I'd chosen Derek over Scott.

I hated choosing. I'd lived with Derek until the fire when I was ten. Melissa had adopted me when she'd learned that I'd lost my foster family to the fire. I'd lived with Scott for six years now. We'd never really been all that close in the first place. It had been to strange for me going from a werewolf pack to a human family, and I'd kept away from Scott and Melissa. Now I was paying the price.

Derek's warm hand on my forehead startled me out of my thoughts. "Ami," he murmured. I opened my eyes to see him sitting beside me. "I'm here," he assured me and I remembered my promise. I remembered that so long as I was there, he was never alone, and as long as I believed, neither was I.


End file.
